This is my latest attempt to share the books I've read with you all. My only excuse is that, for the past few months, I've been much too easily distracted to concentrate on reviews.
These won't be the size of my normal reviews, but I will provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.
My Thoughts: Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series has been a "Go To" series for me for years. I love the blend of mystery, history, and archaeology.
While Wesley and his team investigate the death of a celebrity ghostwriter and his missing laptop, Dr. Neil Watson, with the help of Wesley's teenage son Michael, excavates a crashed World War II plane on Dartmoor.
The mystery is solid, and the ongoing lives of the characters rich and satisfying. You can tell how much I like this series by the fact that it's 29 books long (so far), and I've read every one.
#2 Ian Ludlow thriller set in Hong Kong
Rating: A
My Thoughts: After thoroughly enjoying the first book in the series, True Fiction, once again, I found myself in need of some light, fast-paced fun, so I turned to this second. I was not disappointed.
In fact, his assistant Margo's choice of weapon in a fight had me howling with laughter. There's lots to learn about China and even filmmaking, but if you're in the mood to buckle your seatbelt and sit back for a laugh-filled adventure, I can't recommend this one highly enough.
One of my favorite lines? "The ambiance was so masculine that infertile men could increase their sperm count just by walking in the door."
Ian Ludlow's observations alone are well worth the price of admission. I'm sad that there's only one more book in the series.
Standalone Historical Fiction set in the Egypt and the Middle East
Rating: B+
My Thoughts: Narrated by schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin, we follow her through life with a suffocating mother, through the losses of World War I and the Great Influenza, and right into the creation of the modern Middle East.
Russell, once again, has a marvelous sense of time and place. I found myself wanting to swat flies as Agnes walked the streets of Cairo, and the friendships she made with people like Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence, and Gertrude Bell gave the sheltered woman's life a fairy tale aspect. Few would have expected her to have the bravery to set out on such an adventure by herself.
All in all, Agnes reminded me of a young Eleanor Roosevelt, and I enjoyed her story.
Jungle of Stone: The Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya by William Carlsen
Set in Central America
Non-Fiction
Rating: C+
My Thoughts: I have always been fascinated by the ancient civilizations of the Aztec, the Inca, and the Maya, so this book was right up my street.
The sections on the Maya were fascinating, but the book bogged down with the detailed biographies of Stephens and Catherwood. For some reason, the title of the book led me to expect more Maya than it delivered, which was disappointing.
#11 in the Honeychurch Hall cozy series set in England
Rating: C+
My Thoughts: Although the number of cozy mysteries I read has fallen in recent years, there are still certain series that I follow, and this is one of them.
Unfortunately, not all entries in a long-running series can be dazzling. This one is lackluster. There is little humor, nothing about antiques, and the whodunit was easy to deduce. The emphasis is on people's mean-spirited, money-grubbing actions, and that's never been a favorite of mine.
I'd also like to add that I think it's past time for Kat's mother's chickens to come home to roost. I've never liked her allergy to the truth and what it's done to the people in her life, but I doubt it's going to happen. I have a feeling that most readers find her funny. I wish I did!
That's all for now. I'm getting really close to being completely caught up. When that happens, I may have palpitations!
Kate Ellis really is a skilled writer, Cathy, so I can see exactly why you like her books so well; I do, too. I like the Hannah Dennison series, too, so I have to admit, it was disappointing to hear that this one wasn't as good. Well, as you say, in a series like that, they can't all be stellar. I might have to try the Goldberg; right now, laughs are most welcome!
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