I exercised a bit more restraint in January... at least with digital books. (I did birthday-splurge with an order from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, but that's a tale I won't tell here.)
This is one of those weeks when time is running short, so I'll cut right to the chase and share the books I couldn't resist adding to my Kindle last month. I've grouped them by genre, and if you click on the link in the book titles, you'll be taken to Amazon US where you can learn more if you are so inclined.
=== Historical Mystery ===
Synopsis: "Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in
the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine
cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what
goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every
birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit
community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged
rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom
has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician
undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha
is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.
Over
the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and
prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon
lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and
compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.
Clever,
layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an
unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a
time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River
is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who
left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day."
▲ I'd run across this book several times, and the premise always interested me, but it was the
author event at The Poisoned Pen that pushed me over the edge to actually buy it. I think most authors would love to know that these events do make a difference.
=== Police Procedural ===
Synopsis: "A group of high school students gather on the Isle of Skye’s
remote Coral Beach for a hedonistic night of partying to celebrate the
passing of their final exams. The new millennium is on the horizon and
the future beckons, promising new hope and a fresh wind of optimism. In
the coming days, many will leave the island for work or to study on the
mainland, whereas others will remain on Skye and forge a more
traditional path much as their families have done for centuries before
them.
That is… all but one…
D.I.
Duncan McAdam is dispatched home to the Misty Isle. A body has been
found buried in a remote location on the Waternish peninsula. Well
preserved in the peat, Isla Matheson – missing for the better part of
two decades – is revealed to a shocked island community. A teenage
runaway is dead… and no one is talking…
Joining
a small team of detectives, Duncan is tasked with revisiting those who
knew Isla, those who cared for her… and those with the potential to kill
her… In a remote community well used to settling scores among
themselves, will they trust one of their own when he asks questions or
will they persevere with the façade of ignorance?"
▲ I make no secret of the fact that I love Scotland, and when I came across this series of mysteries set on the Isle of Skye, I knew I had to give the first book a try. I've spent a few weeks on the Isle of Skye, and I'm hoping the stories are as good as my memories of the setting.
=== Non-Fiction ===
Synopsis: "“The only thing new in the world,” said Harry S. Truman, “is the
history you don’t know.” In this fresh and fascinating collection of
historical vignettes, National Book Award–winning author Martin W.
Sandler restores to memory important events, people, and developments
that have been lost to time.
Though barely known today, these
are major historical stories, from Ziryab, an eighth-century black slave
whose influence on music, cuisine, fashion, and manners still
reverberates, to Cahokia, a twelfth-century city north of the Rio
Grande, which at its zenith contained a population estimated to have
been as high as 40,000 (more than any contemporary European city), to
the worst peacetime maritime disaster ever, the explosion and sinking of
the Sultana on the Mississippi in 1865.
These
tales are far from trivia; they illuminate little-known American and
foreign achievements, ingenuity, heroics, blunders, and tragedies that
changed the course of history and resonate today."
▲ Just the sort of thing I like to read about, and the price made it irresistible.
There you have it, the three eBooks I couldn't resist adding to my digital security blanket. Have you read any of them? Or... did I tempt you to get your own hands on a copy or two? Inquiring minds would love to know!
I was disappointed that the Lawhon book is archived on Netgalley. Would have really liked to get hold of that.
ReplyDeleteI know that it won't be long before I begin reading it. It's really calling to me!
DeleteYou have some nice choices here, Cathy! What I always like about your choices is the variety in them. That way, almost no matter what mood you're in, there's a book calling your name...
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it that way, but you're right!
DeleteVery nice, Cathy! I have a print copy of The Frozen River - Book of the Month pick. I'll be interested in what you think about that series set on the Isle of Skye. I have noticed it before, but never picked one up. Let me know! Have a good week!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I had to pick up A Long Time Dead and start reading it. Very promising-- and it certainly didn't hurt that the very beginning of the book was set on the shores of Loch Dunvegan where Denis and I spent a week. :-)
DeleteI'm under the impression that Cahokia was around the present-day site of St. Louis. But then I suppose that is north of the Rio Grande! All three of the books you've spotlighted are of interest to me.
ReplyDeleteI think they worded it that way because most people are going to think that any early city like that in the Americas would be in Central or South America. And yes, Cahokia is on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River not far from St. Louis. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit.
DeleteGreat selections, Cathy. The Frozen River especially appeals to me because of the period it's set in, but I've been fascinated by Dalgliesh for a while and still have found any of the books. That's kind of a big-name in detective fiction characters, so every time I see one of the covers it really jumps out at me.
ReplyDeleteI decided to read the Dalgliesh first, and it's begun very promisingly. The Frozen River is set to be the next one after that.
DeleteOnly 3 ebooks this time? That does show restraint. And you're allowed to splurge on books when it's your birthday! That's the best thing about birthdays imo. :D
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I'd find anyone disagreeing with me in here! LOL
DeleteThe cover for the Lawhon book makes me stop in admiration every time - so striking!
ReplyDeleteI also like the composition of the Dalgliesh cover. Since that's a procedural, of course I added that to my list. The history book went on the list also, because those lesser-known stories always interest me.
Sometimes I think we share so much reading DNA that you must be my sister from another mother. :-)
DeleteAnd what a fun genealogical story that could be! :)
DeleteIt certainly would! LOL
DeleteInteresting books in your haul. Can't wait for the reviews. I always learn something when a list of books new to me are listed. And yes, a birthday splurge is warranted, even more so because of health problems.
ReplyDeleteI just started one of my Birthday Splurge Books-- the newest Elly Griffiths fresh from the UK. :-)
DeleteOOh, sounds good. Will await the review.
ReplyDeleteGreat.
Delete