Books From the Backlog - The Library of Lost Dollhouses

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 Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

Blurb:   Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s uneventful life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy starts to believe that Belva Curtis LeFarge, the influential heiress who established the library a century ago, is conveying a significant final message.
With a newfound sense of spontaneity, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey to understand introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, overlooked history, but also a future for herself, filled with exciting possibilities—and an astonishing familial revelation.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  It sounds amazing and I love the dollhouse angle.  

What I'm Reading - March 4

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Ebook

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth - I just started this one and am only about a chapter in so I don't have an opinion on it yet, but my hopes are high.  

Print Book

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - This one I haven't really even started but I moved my bookmark over to it so it counts as my current print book.  I am really looking forward to getting started with it tonight.

Audio Book 

I'm taking a short break from audiobooks to get caught up on my podcasts but will start a new one at the end of the week.  I'm not sure what I'll start so I might just let my TBR Jar pick for me.  I am currently obsessed with How Did This Get Made? and DNA:ID podcasts.

Slow Read

Pinot Read or Dead by J.C. Eaton - I really enjoy another cozy series by this author team but this one isn't quite living up to the enjoyment of the other books I've read by them.  I'm about 40% done with it so I'll finish it but won't be jumping to get the rest of the series unless it gets much better quickly.  

What are you reading today?

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Mysteries on My TBR with Buildings on the Cover

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 a Genre Freebie.  I'm going with Mysteries on My TBR with Buildings on the Cover.

1.  The Witching Hours by Heather Graham

2.  Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

3.  Old Money by Kelsey Miller

4.  Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

5.  The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

6.  Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry

7.  The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp Leonnie Swan

8.  First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

9.  The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

10. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

A Ghastly Catastrophe - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell #10) by Deanna Raybourn

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

Description:  When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

Genre:  Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read all the previous books in this series and other books by this author and enjoyed them all.  

My Impression: This was a lot of fun!  Veronica and Stoker's friend (frenemy in some cases) Inspector Mornaday comes to them with 2 deaths that just aren't sitting right.  Two deaths that seem unrelated and the investigations are quickly and quietly closed but Mornaday just can't quite let them go.  Veronica and Stoker are pulled into the investigation with bizarre characters, sinister secrets, and potentially vampires.

This was a fast paced twisty mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.  I didn't love (or fully see the point of) JJ's role in the story but I did enjoy Mornaday's presence.  I also really enjoyed the banter between Veronica and Stoker - and their arguments regarding vampires.  I enjoyed the crossover with Julia Grey and her husband and it has definitely encouraged me to give that series a try.  

I've enjoyed all the mysteries in this series and this one is no exception.  This one would read fine as a standalone but like most series mysteries will be more enjoyable if read as part of the series.  I'm already looking forward to the next book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and am hoping to start the Lady Grey mysteries.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries - especially historical mysteries this is a great series to try.  While all the books can be read as standalones I think they're more enjoyable if read as part of the series.

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

This Week in Reading - March 1

 

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Lost Among the Living by Simone St James - I was browsing around ThriftBooks and they had this one that I've been wanting to read at a good price.  (Purchased)

Steamed Open by Barbara Ross - I really liked the first book in this series and then I picked up the bulk of the series at a used bookstore and this is one of the ones I was missing.  (Purchased)

Muddled Through by Barbara Ross - Ditto above (Purchased)

Currently:

Reading:  Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs and When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Slow Read:  Pinot Red or Dead? by J.C. Eaton

Listening:  Podcasts.  I just finished the Anna Elliot/Charles/Charles Veley Homefront Sleuths series so I'm focusing on catching up on podcasts for the next few days.

Watching:  We are taking a break from Death in Paradise to watch Drive to Survive on Netflix before the first Formula 1 race.

Last weekend I mentioned feeling worn out and that my plan was to get some rest over the weekend.  Turns out I was feeling worn out because I was getting sick.  Luckily, it wasn't the flu or anything and I'm feeling better but the week was pretty much a loss.  I didn't do much or even get much reading done but I'm feeling better and the weather is gorgeous so I'm thinking this week will go better!

Have a great week and happy reading!

Mrs. McGinty's Dead - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie

Rating: Loved It (5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  An old widow is brutally killed in the parlour of her cottage…

Mrs McGinty died from a brutal blow to the back of her head. Suspicion fell immediately on her shifty lodger, James Bentley, whose clothes revealed traces of the victim’s blood and hair. Yet something was amiss: Bentley just didn’t look like a murderer.

Poirot believed he could save the man from the gallows – what he didn’t realize was that his own life was now in great danger…

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the February Read Christie pick under the category of Beloved Character.  

My Impression: I have seen so many people list this as one of their favorite Christies and every time I read it I can easily see why.  The setup for Poirot getting involved is perfection.  Superintendent Spence comes to visit Poirot after a murder investigation is concluded and the suspect is convicted.  The solution just doesn't sit right with him and he can't exactly put his finger on why.  Poirot, of course, is immediately willing to get involved.

The investigation itself is fantastic.  I love digging into secrets and no one does it with quite as much flair as Poirot.  Even better is that mystery writer, Ariadne Oliver, makes an appearance and anytime she is on the page is golden.  Between her dealing with a playwright who is trying to make an adaptation of one of her novels (I can picture Christie using these interactions to vent her own frustrations in similar situations) and Poirot's long suffering stay and an incredibly disorganized and uncomfortable guest house there were several moments that made me laugh.  

The mystery is a classic Christie bit of cleverness.  I remembered the solution about halfway through reading the book but it in no way impacted my enjoyment of reading the book.  If I was making a list of Christie mysteries to start with this would definitely be on the list.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  I'm already looking forward to the March pick.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely.  This is a fun read for all mystery lovers.

Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

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. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison - This was quite the roller coaster!  It's been awhile since I've read anything by this author but I don't think I'll have quite as long in between books for my next one by her.  This had some serious Gone Girl vibes at the beginning.  Nothing is quite as it seems and I wasn't sure who to trust.  I was never quite sure what was going to happen next and the author definitely kept me guessing.  At no point did I like any of the characters (with the exception of Holly and Jim) but as the story went along they became a bit more sympathetic.  This is a good twisty read and one that I really enjoyed.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney - I really enjoyed this fantasy book about a hedge witch facing the unraveling of family secrets and discovering more about her very own identity.   I really liked Kate and rooted for things to work out for her.  She's having to balance keeping up the old traditions and learning new things about herself.  The bulk of the book is a quieter story but there is always something a bit darker lurking at the edges.  The audio was very well down and kept me hooked and completely engaged shortly after it began until the very end.  It was a touch more romance-y than I expected but it did fit well into the story so it didn't bother me.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.25 Stars)

3.  The Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters - I've read a few of Elizabeth Peters standalones and while I wouldn't necessarily say they are the most believable or that the stories always make the most sense they're always a good time.  This one was not a favorite.  I liked the characters and I liked the basic concept - long estranged grandfather with a King Arthur tie-in and a traveling companion who writes Gothic novels - but once you get away from the setup everything kind of falls apart.  The story reads like the author had the premise and characters all worked out and then was told that she had to produce the book in 48 hours.  I look forward to reading more from Peters but this is one I wouldn't recommend.  My Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)

4.  The Lost Gargoyle of Paris by Gigi Pandian - I picked this novella up when I was trying to make my reading goal for the year and this was a series I'd always been curious about. I have really enjoyed other books by this author so I'm not surprised that I really enjoyed this book.  It would definitely have been better if I read this series in order but the concept and the characters are solid enough that it has me searching out the other books.  Pandian does a great job of coming up with unique characters and premises and this one especially is a fun one.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

5.  Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - Takako is a young woman feeling at loose ends and not happy with her life.  When she visits her uncle's bookshop in an out of the way corner in Tokyo she's at first uninterested and uninspired but slowly as the book goes along she finds her way.  I preferred the first part that focused more on Takako but overall I enjoyed the entire story.  This was a nice listen and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

What have you read lately?