Murder on the Rocks by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Lines: Lady Hardcastle was looking out of the train window as we clickety-clacked through the Somerset countryside. "Don't you just adore a train journey?"

It's February 1913, and millionaire J.B. McIntyre has invited his friends, Lady Hardcastle and her maid Florence Armstrong, to spend the weekend at his recently renovated Tudor fort on a remote island off the coast of Devonshire.

The weekend quickly veers into disaster when valuable jewels go missing, and a fellow guest is murdered with a very unusual weapon. Naturally, the intrepid duo agrees when McIntyre asks them to investigate. Is the murderer one of the guests? Everyone has an alibi, and everyone has secrets that they want to keep.

When a violent storm traps everyone on the island and cuts them off from help, the stakes are raised. Lady Hardcastle and Florence must work fast before someone else is killed.

~

When I want some light-hearted, historical fun, I know I can always turn to T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries, and his latest is no exception. 

Murder on the Rocks is essentially a locked room mystery set in a remodeled Tudor fort on a remote island. An old building, an island that's easily cut off from the rest of the world. What could possibly go wrong? Just my kind of mystery!

This book has a small cast, but there are more than enough motives to go around, so everyone is a suspect. I found this particular mystery a bit easy to solve, but I enjoy the banter between Lady Hardcastle and Florence so much that I really didn't care.

If you are in the mood for a light-hearted historical mystery series with two wonderful main characters, you can't go wrong with T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle. 

 

Murder on the Rocks by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781662521577

Thomas & Mercer © 2026

eBook, 296 pages

Historical Mystery, #13 Lady Hardcastle

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow

First Lines from Prologue: January 28, 1868. It was less than three years since Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox.

After successfully concluding her latest assignment, young Pinkerton agent Clare Wright finds herself working undercover in New Mexico as a hostess in Fred Harvey's Harvey House restaurant. Robberies are plaguing this newest addition to Harvey's empire, and he's depending on Clare to find the answers.

However, this assignment is going to be far from easy. Not only is the restaurant work exhausting, Clare risks exposure each and every day. And then there are those train robberies. No wonder Clare can only trust two things: herself and her derringer.

~

Several years ago, my reading took me into the world of Fred Harvey, his Harvey House hotels, the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railroad, and the tourism that grew from them. The history of the Harvey Girls themselves is fascinating, and I always thought this would be a gold mine for a mystery series. So did talented writer Dana Stabenow, and after reading The Harvey Girl, I can't wait for the further adventures of Clare Wright.

Clare Wright is a fascinating character. Her backstory unfolds throughout the book as we see her in all sorts of different situations, thinking on her feet, and relying on her unusual skill set. One of the things I really appreciated in this book was the fact that Clare couldn't sneak away from her duties as a Harvey Girl, as so often happens in other mysteries. The work was detailed, the long hours exhausting, and it was difficult for Clare to be both waitress and detective.

Stabenow brings a fascinating chapter in the history of the Old West to life in this new mystery series, and I can't wait for more.

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow

eISBN: 9781035916610

Head of Zeus © 2026

eBook, 272 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Clare Wright

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley 

The Star from Calcutta by Sujata Massey

 

First Line: Sometimes Perveen Mistry felt like the only person in Bombay who didn't care for the summer monsoon.

India, 1922. Perveen Mistry, the only female lawyer in Bombay, has just secured her biggest client yet: Champa Films. The movie studio is run by Subhas Ghoshal and his movie star wife, Rochana. Rochana, the biggest name in Indian cinema, needs Perveen's legal help because she's being sued for breach of contract by her previous studio.

To better understand Rochana's world, Perveen brings her best friend, Alice Hobson-Jones, to a special screening, which turns into a disaster. One of the guests is found dead, and Rochana has disappeared. To protect her clients, Perveen must investigate the murder case-- especially since her best friend seems to be keeping secrets about that night.

~

I've been enjoying Sujata Massey's Perveen Mistry historical series for its sense of place, as well as for the characters, and the mysteries; however, this latest book, The Star from Calcutta, was a struggle. 

I kept expecting the mystery involving the dead man to take center stage, but the story really concentrated on forbidden relationships and society's stranglehold on what was seen to be proper behavior. Coming from a completely different world, I kept chafing at all the things Perveen could and could not do in order to avoid scandal and wagging tongues as she pursued her investigation. (Thank heavens I was born when and where I was!) At that time, society's expectations were such that the Indian film industry was about the only place where women could advance. In the midst of all this, I didn't find the film studio characters very engaging either.

The Star from Calcutta is an interesting tale of how society can warp people's expectations and relationships. I just wish I'd been able to enjoy it more.

The Star from Calcutta by Sujata Massey

eISBN: 9781641295109

Soho Press © 2026

eBook, 413 pages

Historical Mystery, #5 Perveen Mistry

Rating: C+

Source: Net Galley

Three Reviews for the Price of One Post!

 

First Line from Prologue: Île de la Cité, Paris 2019. The fire peels Notre Dame like an illuminated manuscript soaked in water, its layers separating, releasing their secrets.

Skylark is a dual-timeline story about underground Paris. The timelines take place in 1664 and 1939, and concern the daughter of a master dyer at the Gobelin Tapestry Works who tries to save her father when he is unjustly accused of a crime, and a psychiatrist faced with the Nazi persecution of Jews.

The prologue concerning the burning of Notre Dame led me to expect more from the present day; however, it was used just to show readers how certain events can uncover stories and secrets. 

Seventeenth-century dye-making techniques and the three hundred plus kilometers of tunnels and catacombs under Paris made for some very interesting reading, but the story ultimately never engaged me as much as I thought it might. 

Skylark by Paula McLain

eISBN: 9781668028179

Atria Books © 2026

eBook, 464 pages

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

First Lines: I never meant to see what was in his drawer. I was never a mother who snooped.

In this thriller, two teenage girls have been found dead in a wealthy Chicago suburb, and high school counselor Abby Rosso begins to suspect that her son might be their killer.

Occasionally, I forget that I have to be careful with the psychological thrillers that I choose to read. In the case of What Boys Learn, I found whodunit to be much too easy to deduce and the neurotic Abby Rosso extremely annoying. The pace of the book was very slow, and more editing would not only have sped the story along but also not given me the time to realize how little I cared for any of the characters.

What Boys Learn by Andromeda Romano-Lax

eISBN: 9781641296922

Soho Press © 2026

eBook, 464 pages

Standalone Psychological Thriller

Rating: D

Source: Net Galley

First Line from Prologue: Cambridge, 1935. The banks of the River Cam were a bustle of activity on the first day of the Lent Bumps.

When Iris Sparks' friend from her Cambridge days is suspected of being a Soviet operative, British Intelligence coerces her to find out the truth. First, she and business partner/friend Gwen Bainbridge must find a way for the suspect to hire their marriage service.

I have enjoyed this series from the very first book, and having the opportunity to see the irrepressible Iris Sparks in her university days was a treat. Fire Must Burn also gives readers a chance to watch a spy-in-training while navigating the murky dealings of the intelligence service. 

While reading this eighth book in the series, I suddenly realized that one of the reasons I like it so much is the repartee between Sparks and Bainbridge, and that repartee is reminiscent of T. E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series, another favorite of mine.  

Bring on the next adventure for Iris and Gwen! These books are definitely "more-ish."

Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair

eISBN: 9781448315949

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 256 pages

Historical Mystery, #8 Sparks & Bainbridge

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

 

First Line: January 6, 1947. When the knock came at her door, Maple Bishop was in her living room staring at a tiny family.

Maple Bishop's dollhouse business is thriving, and she even has a second "career" as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff. When the body of an aspiring firefighter is discovered in a burned cabin, she's called in to help determine if the fire was an accident or arson. This case has even more importance because the dead man was a close friend of Kenny, the sheriff's deputy, and Maple's confidante.

After creating the cabin in miniature, the investigation leads Kenny and Maple to Maple's old Boston neighborhood, so not only must Maple solve the crime, but she must also confront the past she wants to forget.

~

Having had mixed reactions to the first Maple Bishop mystery, Death in the Details, I was interested in what the second, Murder in Miniature, had in store. I'm happy to say that all systems are go, and I'm looking forward to the third book.

Watching Maple create the dollhouses that people want, as well as her miniature crime scene models, fascinates me. This is the major reason why I was first intrigued by this series. Still grieving the death of her husband, Maple has made friends in this small town, and being able to help the local sheriff helps satisfy her in other ways. After all, she's a trained lawyer who's had no success in finding a firm that wants to hire a woman, hence her move to Vermont.

When the complicated investigation takes Kenny and Maple to Boston, we learn more about Maple's past, setting her up for a major decision in the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to finding out the choice Maple makes.

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

eISBN: 9798892421829

Crooked Lane Books © 2025

eBook, 288 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Maple Bishop

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Trying to Catch Up on Reviews

 

I'm so far behind in my book reviews that I didn't know where to start until I took a deep breath and realized that the best place to begin was with the books that have been waiting the longest. 

These catch-up reviews are going to be short and sweet, but at least you'll have an idea of what pages I've been turning the past few months! (I'll also provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.)

Let's get started!

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

#1 Ali Dawson mystery

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Many of you know that I love Elly Griffiths' writing so much that I pre-order the UK editions of her books. In this book, she combines two of my favorites: mystery and time travel. 

A local MP sends time traveler Ali Dawson back to 1850 to answer a question about an ancestor. Good plot twists, a good sense of humor, and a good setup for the next book in the series. I loved fifty-year-old Ali Dawson with her fire engine red hair, working class roots, three ex-husbands, her son Finn, and her Siamese cat, Terry.

Bring on the next book, Elly!

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Standalone Golden Age thriller

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Told from the point of view of Dorothy L. Sayers, five bestselling mystery writers band together against the misogynistic males of the Detection Club to prove they're every bit (if not better) than the men.

The five women: Sayers, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Agatha Christie. I enjoyed how these women approached the investigation and learned how to play to each other's strengths. 

Yes, this is very similar to Rosanne Limoncelli's The Four Queens of Crime, but I much preferred this one.

The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice by Simon Parkin

Non-Fiction

Rating: A

My Thoughts: In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad and began the longest blockade in recorded history, one that would ultimately claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. 

I learned so much from this book, not only about the siege of Leningrad, but also about seed banks, their importance, and the lives of the botanists who chose to risk starvation in order to preserve those seeds. Mind-boggling history that I couldn't devour fast enough. (Somehow the pun seemed inevitable. Sorry.)

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Standalone Historical Mystery

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: Lawhon's The Frozen River was one of my Best Reads of 2024. I was so impressed that I wanted to read more of her work.

Once again inspired by a real-life unsolved mystery, Lawhon spins the tale of Judge Joseph Crater, a man who steps into a cab and disappears just as rumors of corruption begin to  circulate about him. Thirty-nine years later, his wife Stella is ready to reveal what she knows. It's a story that involves not only Stella herself, but a showgirl named Ritzi and the Craters' maid, Maria Simon.

This was so entertaining that I will be looking for more of Ariel Lawhon's books. She's one of my favorite discoveries of the past two years.

Well, I made a little dent in my list of reviews. Have you already read any of these books? Which ones? What did you think of them? Or... did I tempt you to add any of them to your own reading lists? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Catching Up on Book Reviews

 

Here I've been, chugging along posting just one book review per week. I know that you know that's just the tip of the iceberg, although I do admit to reading much less when Denis was in the hospital and our niece Karen was here. So... it's time to do a little catching up. 

These will be short reviews. I'll provide links to Amazon in each title in case you want to learn more about any of the books. Let's get started!

The Girl in Cell A by Vaseem Khan

eISBN: 9781399707725

Hodder & Stoughton, Ltd. © 2025

eBook, 515 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: D+

Source: Net Galley

My Thoughts: This standalone thriller is a departure for one of my favorite authors. 

Orianna Negi was convicted of murder at the age of seventeen. She's always maintained her innocence, even though she has dissociative amnesia. Released from prison on parole, she returns to Eden Falls to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.

At 515 pages, The Girl in Cell A needed some editing. There were too many twists, too many turns, too many about-faces, and the book's length gave me plenty of time to tire of them all. If I'd warmed up to Orianna, I might've enjoyed the book more, but she left me cold. So did the rich and powerful Wyclerc family. (I think I've reached my saturation point on entitled rich folk.) The only reason why I kept reading was to find out the truth. In that, I was just as stubborn as Orianna. 

 

The Irish Convict by M.J. Lee

ASIN: B0CFFDRJRD

M.J. Lee © 2023

eBook, 287 pages

Genealogical Mystery, #10 Jayne Sinclair

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

My Thoughts: M.J. Lee's genealogical mysteries consistently impress me. With his main character, Jayne Sinclair, he consistently centers engrossing mysteries around puzzles that can be unearthed when researching family history. 

In The Irish Convict, Jayne is in lockdown in Australia, and she agrees to research a well-known family's history. It should be easy, but it isn't. I love watching this character uncover the truth. Having helped my grandmother and mother in researching our own family history, I also know that she's giving valuable tips to anyone who might want to do the same. As always, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

eISBN: 9780063281110

William Morrow © 2023

eBook, 304 pages

Multi-generational Fiction

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

My Thoughts: A Council of Dolls covers almost two hundred years in the lives of Indigenous women, from the ancestral lands of the Lakota to twentieth-century Chicago. Readers learn of the lives of Sissy (born 1961), Lillian (born 1925), and Cora (born 1888) in part through the stories of the dolls they carried.

From life on their ancestral lands to Indian boarding schools to inner city Chicago, I found this book to be compulsive reading and, at times, emotionally draining. 

The Verifiers by Jane Pek

eISBN: 9780593313800

Vintage Books © 2022

eBook, 336 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Claudia Lin

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

My Thoughts: Claudia Lin is used to disregarding the expectations of her domineering Chinese mother, and she's certainly used to keeping secrets from everyone in the family. A lifelong mystery reader, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job with Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency. When a client vanishes, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate and uncovers personal and corporate deceit.

I liked Claudia well enough; she has a penchant for comparing things to various books that I found enjoyable ("That man is harder to read than Finnegan's Wake"). I also enjoyed the insider's look at online dating services. But... there was something about the book that just didn't make me want to read more. 

City of Destruction by Vaseem Khan

eISBN: 9781399707671

Hodder & Stoughton © 2024

eBook, 359 pages

Historical Mystery, #5 Malabar House

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

My Thoughts: After gunning down a man trying to assassinate the defense minister at a political rally, Detective Persis Wadia is tasked to hunt down the assassin's co-conspirators. Britain's MI6 immediately shunts her to the sidelines, but she rapidly picks up another case.

I really enjoy Khan's series set after India's Independence and the Partition. City of Destruction shows Persis learning a bit of spycraft as well as the relationship between Great Britain and India at this time. She's finally beginning to learn how to work as part of a team, but I am tiring of her knowingly running into danger without backup. Of course, this behavior can be laid at the feet of her fellow (male) officers, most of whom believe she has no business being there. This is a good, fast-paced read, even though it has a few too many (albeit excellent) similes.

Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw

eISBN: 9781728295466

Sourcebooks Landmark © 2025

eBook, 304 pages

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

My Thoughts: This dual-timeline historical novel was a match made in heaven for me. Inspired by the life of paleoanthropologist Dr. Mary Leakey, Follow Me to Africa moves from 1930s London to the Serengeti plains of 1980s Tanzania.

Seventeen-year-old Grace Clark's mother just died, and now she's been sent to help a father she barely knows on an archaeological dig at Olduvai Gorge. Here she meets the indomitable Mary Leakey, a scientist and rebel. With the help of Lisa the cheetah, Mary encourages Grace to think for herself, to choose what she wants to do before someone else does it for her, and she's stuck in a life she doesn't want. The friendship between Mary and Grace, the archaeology, the wildlife... marvelous. (And the Author's Notes and bibliography are must-reads.) I hadn't read a book by Penny Haw before, but now I'll be looking for more.

Am I all caught up now? Ummmm... nope! But I will get there eventually. Promise!

Did I tempt you with any of these books? Have you already read any of them? Which ones? What did you think of them? Inquiring minds would love to know!

A Shipwreck in Fiji by Nilima Rao

 

First Lines: The Fiji Times, Saturday, May 1, 1915. Patriotic Cricket Old v Young Players. A cricket match on quite a novel scale will be held tomorrow afternoon-- weather conditions permitting-- at Albert Park...

Fiji, 1915. When rumors spread about Germans being sighted, Sergeant Akal Singh is sent to the neighboring island of Ovalau to investigate. His commanding officer believes he's sending the sergeant off on a wild goose chase-- why on earth would World War I come to such a remote place in the Pacific? To add insult to injury, Singh is also tasked with chaperoning two European ladies on a sightseeing tour. When Singh arrives on Ovalau, he realizes that he will also have to mentor the island's only police officer, an eighteen-year-old constable with a penchant for hysterics.

Accompanying Singh is his friend and fellow officer, Taviti, who is visiting his uncle, the local chief. The two men quickly find themselves involved in the investigation surrounding the death of an unpopular local and the imprisonment of a group of Norwegian sailors who have run afoul of Taviti's uncle. If that weren't enough, Singh discovers that Katherine, the young European lady journalist, has an agenda of her own. Singh is going to have his hands full trying to keep everyone out of trouble.

~

A Shipwreck in Fiji is the second entry in Nilima Rao's historical mystery series featuring Sergeant Akal Singh (following A Disappearance in Fiji). I am enjoying learning about the culture and history of this area at the turn of the twentieth century. 

Most readers would assume that the islands of Fiji were much too remote to be affected by World War I, but that's not true. There was a definite shortage of men on the islands, since most of them were off fighting in Europe. That's why Sergeant Akal Singh finds himself mentoring a young and extremely nervous constable when he and Taviti arrive on Ovalau.

Taviti was a welcome addition to this book, as he introduced both Singh and readers to tribal traditions, and the breaking of some of them had serious repercussions. Another aspect of Fijian life at the time was the practice of bringing indentured Indians to the islands to work for a period of five years. (Don't miss the Author's Note about this.)

The mysteries concerning the death of the local, the Norwegian sailors, and the European women's real reasons for being on the island were intriguing and certainly kept my interest; however, if one thing made me roll my eyes, it was Akal Singh's propensity to be enthralled by every pretty face he comes in contact with. This is what got him sent to Fiji in disgrace, and-- if he doesn't mend his ways soon-- it's going to get him in even hotter water in Fiji. We'll have to see what happens in the next book.

A Shipwreck in Fiji by Nilima Rao

eISBN: 9781641295482

Soho Press © 2025

eBook, 272 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Sergeant Akal Singh mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: '... and then I said, "But that's what I wanted the parsnip for in the first place."'

After a week of torrential rain and ferocious winds, the inhabitants of Littleton Cotterill are eager to emerge from their homes-- only to discover that one of Sid Hyde's prize sheep has been mauled to death. In no time, rumors are flying about a vicious beast stalking the countryside. 

Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong, are sure there is a rational explanation, but when Sid Hyde himself is brutally killed, and another man is killed and yet another injured, it's plain to see that whatever is behind the attacks needs to be caught-- and fast. 

Lady Hardcastle and Flo have their work cut out for them.

~

After reading some very serious and depressing fiction and non-fiction, I was in dire need of something light and fun. The Beast of Littleton Woods was just what the doctor ordered! It's my favorite book in the series so far. 

For one thing, there is a marvelous cast, and I'm not just talking about the primary characters. The secondary characters, all the way down to individual villagers, add so much to the story. I grew up in a village, and T.E. Kinsey's characters remind me so much of some of the people I grew up with. He also firmly roots his stories at the turn of the twentieth century with Lady Hardcastle and Flo wondering if they should bring electricity to their house. In this twelfth book in the series, readers make the acquaintance of Sir Hector's older sister, Joyce Adaway and her little dog, Lady Araminta Fluffikins. (I know...) Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo know all these people so well that they remind me of another sleuth-- Bruno Courrèges in Martin Walker's excellent series. 

I loved the plot. Is there really a beast on the loose? If there is a beast, where did it come from? And who keeps resorting the mail in the post office? I had so much fun putting the clues together as I turned the pages.

One of the best ingredients in the Lady Hardcastle recipe is the wordplay. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is top-notch, and there are other elements. A butcher named Spratt. Lady Hardcastle's penchant for purposely mangling the names of people and objects (a law firm she refers to as Messrs Philtrum, Hallux, and Uvula). And then there's the threat of a bit of rhinobattery. If I wasn't smiling, I was laughing my way through the entire book.

If you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and a good mystery to solve, look no further than The Beast of Littleton Woods. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781662521614

Thomas & Mercer © 2025

eBook, 294 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #12 Lady Hardcastle

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

 

First Line: Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles stood behind her father as he sat in his wheelchair, facing the front window of their second floor sitting room in their home on the eastside of London.

It's 1938, and the four women the media have named "The Four Queens of Crime" (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham) have all agreed to attend a charity event at Sir Henry Heathcote's Hursley House. The elite of London society are there, and it's a brilliant success... until the next morning when Sir Henry is found dead in the library.

Now a fifth queen of crime, Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles (the first woman to serve as a ranking officer in the CID at Scotland Yard) makes an appearance. Accompanied by DCI Richard Davidson, it is Wyles' task to sort through all the guests for potential suspects, and she thinks she has just the right sort of people to help her: the Four Queens of Crime.

~

In Rosanne Limoncelli's Preface, she introduces the real-life people she is portraying fictionally. I was already familiar with the four best-selling crime writers of their day-- Christie, Sayers, Marsh, and Allingham-- but I'd never heard of DCI Lilian Wyles, and I enjoyed watching these five characters work with each other. Wyles had a particularly difficult time of it because her male counterpart thought the four writers would have absolutely nothing worthwhile to add to the investigation. The five women had to learn how to work around him.

The mystery revolved around a typical British aristocratic family in a large country house just before the start of World War II. Although the whodunit was rather easily deduced, the upstairs-downstairs tension worked well. Those who are familiar with the four authors' books will also find amusing moments along the way, as in Agatha Christie getting the germ of an idea for And Then There Were None.

All in all, The Four Queens of Crime was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, but I really didn't find it to be a standout.

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

eISBN: 9798892420617

Crooked Lane Books © 2025

eBook, 320 pages

Historical Mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Net Galley 

Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon

 

First Line: Cash stepped out of the cab of her Ranchero onto the soft, black dirt of the field she was to plow under.

It's spring in the Red River Valley of 1970s Minnesota, and Cash Blackbear is out working the fields of a local farmer... until she finds him dead in a rented farmhouse on his property. The Native couple renting the house are nowhere to be found, but Cash finds their young daughter, Shawnee, hiding under a bed. Shawnee, a possible witness to the killing, is too terrified to speak.

Cash is suspicious of the farmer's grieving widow, and she spends every spare second scouring the countryside for Shawnee's parents before the little girl is put into the foster care system. When another body turns up, Cash knows she has to find out the truth of what happened in the farmhouse before the clock runs down.

~

Cash Blackbear is a young Ojibwe woman I've come to care about deeply in this series (of now) four books. Broken Fields is a tapestry tightly woven with details of Native American life in northern Minnesota, abusive farm labor practices, and women's liberation. 

Rendon's depiction of the landscape and farming aspects takes me right back to my childhood in a small farm town in central Illinois. Sights, sounds, smells-- Rendon's descriptions are incredibly vivid. 

Equally vivid are her characters. There's Sheriff Wheaton, the great rescuer, who keeps a close eye on Cash and is doing his best to further her education and work experience.  No one wants to see Cash succeed more than he does. But no character shines more brightly than Cash, battle-scarred survivor of the harsh foster system. Her fierce protectiveness of little Shawnee shows how deeply she cares-- and sometimes she cares so deeply that her anger takes control of her actions. After what happened in the previous book (Sinister Graves), Cash doesn't trust her intuition the way she used to. She sleeps with the lights on. She drinks too much. It's been a long time since I've been so invested in a character. I want this young woman to succeed. I want her to thrive. 

And I want this series to continue for a good long time. If you like good mysteries with a strong main character, a superb sense of place, and a writing style that draws you right into the heart of each book, you have to make the acquaintance of Cash Blackbear. Start with the first book, Murder on the Red River. You can thank me later.

Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon

eISBN: 9781641296595

Soho Press © 2025

eBook, 272 pages

Historical Mystery, #4 Cash Blackbear

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

An Excellent Thing in A Woman by Allison Montclair

 

First Line: Archie was dead, to begin with.

Gwen Bainbridge's beau, Salvatore "Sally" Danielli, has taken a job at the BBC Studios at Alexandra Palace, but when one of the Parisian performers for a new variety show is found dead in the theater, several inconvenient coincidences make Sally the prime suspect. 

Fortunately, Sally has two women determined to prove his innocence. Just days earlier, the dead woman had arrived at The Right Sort Marriage Bureau looking for a husband--any husband-- to avoid returning to Paris. As Gwen Bainbridge and Iris Sparks begin to search for answers, Sparks finds ties to the secret world she left behind when World War II ended. 

Once again, these two indomitable women find themselves searching for a killer.

~

Allison Montclair's Sparks & Bainbridge historical series continues to be one of my favorites. The growth of the main characters is wonderful, and An Excellent Thing in a Woman continues to let readers share in the lives of two strong, intelligent, and witty women.

Another thing I love about this series is the attention to detail. I really get a feel for post-World War II London. In this latest installment, readers get a behind-the-scenes look at the BBC Studios, and when Gwen buys a television, we see how that one item immediately begins to impact our lives.

The Official Secrets Act also plays a part in the book. Sparks' work during the war ties into the murder of the French woman, and trying to solve the crime isn't easy when she's signed documents stating that she's not allowed to mention anything she did during the war.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. This is the third murdered client of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, and I think the author is going to shake things up in book eight. Bring it on! 

An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair

eISBN: 9781448312382

Severn House © 2025

eBook, 211 pages

Historical Mystery, #7 Sparks & Bainbridge

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley