The Rose and the Yew Tree - Classic Fiction Review

Goodreads: The Rose and the Yew Tree by Agatha Christie/Mary Westmacott

Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)
Source: Purchased

Description: Everyone expected Isabella Charteris, beautiful, sheltered and aristocratic, to marry her cousin Rupert St. Loo when he came back from the War. It would have been such a suitable marriage. How strange then that John Gabriel, an ambitious and ruthless war hero, should appear in her life. For Isabella, the price of love would mean abandoning her dreams of home and happiness forever. For Gabriel, it would destroy his chance of a career and all his ambitions....

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book: This was the July pick for the Read Christie challenge.

My Impression: While I have read all of Agatha Christie's mysteries (including plays and short stories) I've never read her books under her Mary Westmacott pseudonym.  These have been labeled her "romances" but I struggle to actually consider this book in that genre.   The story is told through the point of view of an observer and focuses on a point in time when ambitious politician, John Gabriel's life collides with sheltered princess of the castle Isabella Charteris.  Because of this there's a distance between the readers and the characters and while we see their actions we never truly never know their emotions.  We do see some of the narrator, Hugh Norrey's, emotions and thoughts which I very much enjoyed.  I also really liked his sister-in-law Teresa.  

This was an interesting read with quite a lot to think about.  I think there's a disservice done to it by billing it as a romance.  If you go in expecting a love story (like I did) I think you'll end up disappointed.  If you go in expecting a story about human behavior and reactions this is an interesting read.  I enjoyed the book and got through it quickly but would have enjoyed it more if there had been a bit more to the story or more character development.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I will definitely read more Christie but am not sure if I'll be searching out more Westmacott.  I am looking forward to reading the August selection - By the Pricking of My Thumbs - which I haven't read in years.

Would I Recommend this Book? Maybe.  It can be a bit hard to find but it was an interesting and quick read.

Friday Fives - Five Audio Books on My TBR

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 canceled Audible back at the beginning of the year and since then have been getting increasingly tempting offers to resubscribe.  I finally fell for one and have resubscribed for a few more months.   It seems their new system is essentially a rental system where I get one book a month but can only keep it as long as I'm actively subscribed (there are other options - this is just the one I got).  So I'm choosing 5 audio books that I'm really excited about and will look forward to listening to before I cancel my subscription.

1.  The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox - This looks spooky and atmospheric which is my favorite kind of audio.

2.  The Valentine Cipher by Anna Elliot and Charles Veley - I've really enjoyed the previous books in the series and I'm really looking forward to reading the group's next adventures.

3.  Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - I loved the first two books in this series on audio so I need to listen to book three before the next one comes out.

4.  The Unknown by Riley Sager - I love a good thriller on audio and this sounds really good. 

5.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - I have been wanting to read this book for literally years but at this point I think I've developed a mental block.  I'm hoping with a deadline I'll finally get this done!

What audio books would you pick up?

Recipe Thursday: Easy Chicken Parmesan

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Today I'm Sharing:  Easy Chicken Parmesan from Dinner Then Dessert

Changes:  I used finely ground cracker crumbs because I forgot to buy panko but other than I followed the recipe as stated.  I also had to do the pan cooking in two batches so I ended up having to replace the oil.

Thoughts on Recipe Difficulty:  This was pretty easy.  The two step cooking method worked pretty well and this came together very easily.

Cook Time: 45 minutes or so - 18 minutes in the oven, 10 minutes or so total to get the crispy crust on the chicken, and 5 to 10 minutes to prep the food

Served With:  Spaghetti and garlic bread.  I also would have served it with salad but I'm a little paranoid right now.

Results: This was really good!  The crust was pretty close to fried and it came together really well.  My oven runs a little hot so the cheese was a little more done than I would have liked.  Next time I'll probably take it out a little earlier or cover it with some foil for the last few minutes.

Verdict: Survived - and this wins the Chicken Parmesan head to head.

Reading What I Love - Code Name: Lise by Larry Loftis

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  Code Name: Lise: The True Story of WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis

Blurb:  The year is 1942, and World War II is in full swing. Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill.
As they successfully complete mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them. They are sent to Paris’s Fresnes prison, and from there to concentration camps in Germany where they are starved, beaten, and tortured. But in the face of despair, they never give up hope, their love for each other, or the whereabouts of their colleagues.

In Code Name: Lise, Larry Loftis paints a portrait of true courage, patriotism, and love—of two incredibly heroic people who endured unimaginable horrors and degradations. He seamlessly weaves together the touching romance between Odette and Peter and the thrilling cat and mouse game between them and Sergeant Bleicher.

Why I Think I'll Love This One: I've read another biography by Loftis and enjoyed his writing style.  This sounded like a fascinating story.  

My Thoughts:  This wasn't the easiest read but nor was it an easy one to put down.  It starts with a dramatic cat and mouse chase through French countryside and really the pace doesn't let up from there. Odette is a complicated woman.  She loves her children dearly but at the same time is able to leave them for what could potentially be a death sentence all while their father is in combat.  She is fiercely patriotic and has never wavering integrity which at times causes her great pain but also sees her through.   The story is both incredibly horrible but all with bits of humanity and pure kindness woven in.  I really appreciated that the author included an afterward to talk more about the lives of those in the book after the war for those that survived.  This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm eager to read more from him.  Given the intense and often disturbing events I read this one a few chapters at a time but always found it a little difficult to put down once my goal was hit.  My Rating: Loved It (5 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Books That Live in My Head Rent Free

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 Books That Live in My Head Rent Free.  

1.  The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - Valency is one of those characters that just sticks with me even long after I put the book down. 

2.  Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie - When I think about Christie's books this one is the one that comes to mind most often for me.  I love how she plotted it and really just everything about it.

3.  Vanish with the Rose by Barbara Michaels - I'm not sure that this is my favorite Michaels book but it is the one that pups in my mind the most.  

4.  Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell - I last read this more than 20 years ago but I remember pretty much everything about it and it still gives me the creeps.

5.  The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier - Anytime I see a bunch of birds on a powerline I think of this story.  It makes the movie look like a children's cartoon.

6.  Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright - My only complaint about this book is that I didn't read it as a child.  I love this visual of all the fading houses around Gone Away Lake.

7.  The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth - I love this story and it's one I get the urge to reread periodically.

8.  Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - Another one I get the urge to reread periodically.  Last time I read the entire book in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it.

9.  Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry - This is one that pops into my head frequently and it is also one of the books I recommend the most.

10.  Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - This is probably my favorite Christie.  I love things involving restoring old houses so anytime that subject comes up I think of this book.

What books live in your head rent fee?

The Story Keeper - Fiction Review

 Goodreads: The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

Rating: 
Source: 

Description: In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate on the east coast of Australia she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion—beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a misshelved book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle's library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

Told across three timelines and set against the Gothic backdrop of Wurimbirra, The Midnight Estate weaves a tale as intricate and haunting as Kate Morton's Homecoming, inviting readers into the heart of a family's darkest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book: The premise grabbed me.  I just can't resist a decaying house and the bookish elements definitely added an extra pull.

My Impression: Oh, this book was a creepy one.  For the first half of the book nothing spectacularly creepy happens - a few glasses are broken, and a bucket is knocked over - but the author infuses the whole atmosphere around Fiona with something unsettling.  The book within a book is an interesting setup.  I'm usually not the hugest fan of the book inside the book and do a lot of skimming through that but that wasn't the case here.  Reading The Midnight Estate portion, I would forget there was a whole other story happening alongside.  The two storylines worked together very well.

I liked Fiona.  She's definitely struggling to re-find her identity and get herself figured out and I understood why moving back to Wurimbirra appealed to her.  I liked her complicated relationships with her family.  It felt very believable and authentic.  I also really enjoyed her cousin and mother's perspectives on what was happening around her.  The book within the book is heartbreaking and infuriating.  

This isn't a story I want to reveal too much about, but it is one I very much enjoyed.  Rimmer's writing style is fast paced and brings the characters and setting to life.  I had tried another book by her and found it on the angsty side.  While this book does tackle some emotions I didn't find it angsty.  Creepy and compelling definitely but not angsty.  

There are some trigger warnings for coercive control and spousal abuse.  While it isn't overly descriptive it is present in the book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I'm curious to dive into her backlist and will be looking forward to seeing her new books.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would.  This was atmospheric, creepy, and incredibly interesting.

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

Mid-Year Reading Questionnaire

I saw this over on Gulfside Musings and enjoyed reading JoAnn's answers I had to post my own version.

1. Best book so far in 2026?  Dolly All the Time by Annabel Mongahan - This was my first book by Monaghan and I absolutely loved it and every character in the book.

2. Favorite Sequel of the 1st half of 2026?  Whose Body in the Library by Eva Gates.  I have been reading this series since the beginning and I was really pleased with the new direction the author is taking it in.  Moving the main character into more of a side character and getting a new main character with a completely different backstory gives the series a really nice refresh.  We get the same comfy community but shaken up just a touch.

3. A new release that you are excited for but haven’t read yet? Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict.  I really enjoy this author and the subject matter.  I can't believe I haven't read this one yet!

4. Most anticipated release of the second half of 2026? Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts.  I always enjoy Roberts' trilogies and they are always the perfect escape reading.

5. Biggest (reading) disappointment so far?  The Dancing Floor by Barbara Michaels.  Michaels is one of my favorite go-to authors for slump busting reading.  I love her Gothic-y romantic suspense stories made even more intriguing because the author was an Egyptologist.  Unfortunately, this book fell really flat for me.   This isn't the worst book I've read this year (That is A Cruise to Die For by Heather Graham hands down) but it was the biggest disappointment

6. Biggest (reading) surprise so far? The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.  This is so different from my usual preferences, but I ended up really enjoying it.

7. Who is your favorite new-to-you or debut author this year? Katie Tietjen's Maple Bishop series.  I have thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series and will be looking for more from this author.

8. Your favorite character so far this year? Mebel from Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

9. A book that made you cry? Code Name: Lise by Larry Loftis.  This biography of WWII's most highly decorated spy was brutal and at times had me in tears.

10. A book that made you happy? Soyangri Book Kitchen by Kim Jee Hye - This was such a peaceful read that I felt happy and calm when I finished it.

11. What is the most beautiful book cover you have bought this year? The River Muse by Laura Resau.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  The book cover is absolutely gorgeous and that is 95% of the reason I bought it.

12. What book(s) do you want to read by the end of the year? Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst.  I have loved the previous two books in this series and I can't wait to read this next book.