Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: A young woman has the camera in selfie mode as she goes through a door into a modern apartment and walks into the kitchen area.

Social media influencer Elly Parker thought she had the perfect life until, in the worst way possible, she discovered her husband was having an affair with her best friend. She thought there was no way things could be worse until she stopped to help a stranger in distress. 

Now Elly needs a lawyer who's willing to bend the rules in order to find the truth that will keep her out of prison. Eddie Flynn and his team sign on for the job, but they find themselves hunting a master manipulator who's always one step ahead.

~

It's always a pleasure to watch former con man/current lawyer Eddie Flynn take on the impossible, and his latest, Two Kinds of Stranger, is no exception. 

Even though I have a rather jaundiced view of social media influencers, Elly Parker is such an engaging character that I couldn't help but want her to be saved. Cavanagh does an excellent job in showing her world, her emotions, unraveling right in front of everyone. 

What is unusual in Two Kinds of Stranger is the fact that the master manipulator who's decided to ruin Elly's life isn't your garden-variety criminal. There are twists and turns to his own life that, although you know he must be brought to justice, you can't help but feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him.

Eddie Flynn and his team are at their best here, dealing with two very important cases simultaneously, and I loved watching everything come together. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced tale with plenty of surprises as well as a strong cast of characters, Two Kinds of Stranger may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668093412

Atria Books © 2026

eBook, 400 pages

Legal Thriller, #9 Eddie Flynn

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

 

First Line: Michael had grown quite fond of the anonymous souls who paused beneath his window.

After years of a complicated life in the intelligence service, Michael has been enjoying a reclusive life in his New York townhouse, inventing lives for the people he watches strolling through the park across the street, and having his every need taken care of by his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.

But this quiet life of his changes when the girl he's been watching for some time drastically changes her routine. Michael realizes she is in danger and decides to do what he can to help her.

In no time at all, Michael finds that he needs to use all the tricks of his former trade because he's just plunged headlong into the New York underworld.

~

After years of enjoying Jeffrey Siger's Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mysteries set in Greece, I wasn't about to miss this first in his new Redacted Man series. Although Michael, the retired intelligence officer, could remind readers of Sherlock Holmes with the number of his townhouse being 221, his housekeeper named Mrs. Baker, and his exhaustive knowledge, Michael says, "I get to play the Wizard of Oz." He prefers to work behind the scenes, and the contacts he's made throughout the years are nothing short of amazing.

It did take me a while to warm up to the characters; their histories unfold so gradually, but I did: Angel, the young girl Michael decides to help, a brother and sister who find themselves over their heads when the brother acquires a very dangerous man's treasure, Michael's friends in the neighborhood, Michael himself, and especially Mrs. Baker.

With a strong, fast-paced plot and engaging characters, A Study in Secrets was a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. 

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

eISBN: 9781448317073

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 212 pages

Thriller, #1 Redacted Man

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Mark Four More as Read

 

Here I go again, trying catch up on reviews of the books I've read. I am determined to get current, although this post isn't going to be the one to do it.

These are shorter reviews, mainly just my thoughts. If you'd like a synopsis or more information about a book, just click on the link in the book title to be taken to Amazon US.

It's time to get this show on the road!

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Historical Fiction, 365 pages

eBook purchased from Amazon

Rating: A+

My Thoughts: I loved this dual timeline novel about the Lyons family. The 1913 timeline features the Lyons family, living in an apartment in the New York Public Library since Mr. Lyons is superintendent there. His wife, Laura, wants to be more than the traditional wife and mother, and while this creates tension, even more appears when valuable books are stolen from the library.

In 1993, Sadie Donovan is curator at the New York Public Library and the granddaughter of Laura Lyons, the famous essayist. Rare books, notes, and manuscripts for the exhibit she's running begin disappearing, causing her to team up with a private security expert. The investigation soon becomes personal. 

The inner workings of the library, the characters of Laura and Sadie, the mystery of the disappearing books and manuscripts, the dual timelines all combined to create a read that kept a stranglehold on my attention. A Best Read of 2025.

Artemis by Andy Weir

Science Fiction, 335 pages

eBook purchased from Amazon

Rating: A

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved Weir's previous novels, The Martian and Project Hail Mary, so I had to pick up this book about Earth's first and only lunar colony. We learn all about the ins and outs of the colony through the eyes of young Jazz Bashara, who's not above trying to commit the perfect crime in order to improve the quality of her life.

I liked the local cop's solution to a domestic violence case, and his use of a spray bottle made me laugh. I also enjoyed Jazz's voice. She drew me right into the story and kept me there. 

I do love the way Andy Weir's mind works, but he is a passionate technophile, and sometimes his descriptions of how things work in space can be a bit much. Fortunately, those parts are easy to skim through. I am definitely looking forward to what that mind of his cooks up next.

Carved in Blood by Michael Bennett

#3 Hana Westerman police procedural, 306 pages

eBook purchased from Amazon

Rating: A

My Thoughts: I continue to enjoy this series set in New Zealand. I'm learning a lot about the Maori culture through the strong plots and even stronger character of Hana Westerman. 

In this third book, Hana has been working with her father to help young locals to earn their driver's licenses-- those licenses being passports to their futures. When Hana's ex-husband is murdered, she's brought in to solve the case. 

This is an excellent series that I hope goes on for a good long time.

An Enemy in the Village by Martin Walker

#18 Bruno Chief of Police, 305 pages

Digital galley from Net Galley

Rating: B

My Thoughts: It's always a pleasure to visit with Bruno, the police chief of the small French town of St. Denis. (I always read these books with a French accent!) As Bruno works to solve the murder of a successful businesswoman, readers are treated to good food and good friends. And sparks fly between Bruno and Jilly, a woman who happens to have a basset hound just like he does. 

Will Bruno, who never has good luck in the romance department, finally find love? I'm looking forward to finding out.

There you go-- four more reviews that get me a bit closer to catching up. Have you read any of these? Which ones? What did you think? Of course, inquiring minds want to know!

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!

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: There's something wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former member of the Manhattan upper class, Ruby Johnson now works as a maid and a nanny to the people in the types of houses she used to live in. She knows everyone's dirty secrets, and when she witnesses a murder, she has plans in mind that do not involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases, and none is more hopeless than John Jackson's: the gun that killed his neighbor was found-- with Jackson's DNA on it-- in his own home. Flynn and his team will need all their expertise to keep an innocent man from being sent to prison. However, while Eddie is trying to save his client's life, he must also protect his own loved ones. The scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

~

Few authors can write absorbing legal thrillers like Steve Cavanagh. Witness 8 has it all: humor, a sympathetic yet scary witness to murder, life-and-death situations, and a roller coaster ride of a courtroom drama.

I love watching the way Eddie Flynn's mind works. He's not your usual lawyer. He's a streetwise ex-con-artist-turned-defense-attorney, and he knows all sorts of people from all walks of life. The team he has assembled is top-notch, so much so that it seems that there is nothing they cannot do.

As a witness to murder, Ruby Johnson is scary yet sympathetic. I felt for her circumstances, but she was so skilled in her manipulations that I wanted her stopped ASAP. Ruby also made me realize just how much the "hired help" knows about the families they work for. My advice to the rich? Pay your servants well, be nice, and don't anger them. They always know much more than you think.

To add to Eddie's worries, there's the danger for those near and dear to him-- not just from corrupt police officers but also from an assassin named Mr. Christmas. (Don't you love his name?)

If you love legal thrillers, by all means, acquaint yourself with Eddie Flynn. I would definitely want him defending me if I were on trial.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668049396

Atria Books © 2025

eBook, 416 pages

Legal Thriller, #8 Eddie Flynn

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

An Inconvenient Wife by Karen E. Olson

 

First Line: They came in the early morning.

 

Kate Parker thinks she knows what she's getting into when she becomes the sixth wife of billionaire Hank Tudor-- after all, she was by his side (as his assistant) when his fifth marriage to actress Caitlyn Howard fell apart. 

 

But their honeymoon hasn't even begun when a headless body is found near Hank's summer home. This forces Kate to contend with Wife #1, Catherine Alvarez, who lives as a shut-in with her computers carefully following all business aspects of Tudor Enterprises; and Wife #4, Anna Klein, who runs a bed-and-breakfast where she and her wife keep an eye on things-- in particular Hank's children, Lizzie and Teddy.

 

A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, not only between Kate, Catherine, and Anna but with Hank and Hank's fixer, Tom Cromwell. Who is the headless woman who was found on Hank's property, and does her death have any connection to that other headless body from eight years ago?

~

When I was in my twenties, I devoured all sorts of fiction and nonfiction about Tudor England-- including the book mentioned by the author in her Afterward. I could not resist An Inconvenient Wife, Olson's modern retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives. (Are you familiar with "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" as a way to keep those six women's fates straight?)

Don't worry. If you're unfamiliar with Henry and his wives, you'll still enjoy this book. The machinations of several characters are well worth the price of admission all by themselves. However, if you are familiar with that particular period of history, that knowledge will add some zest-- and some smiles-- to Olson's story. Not only that but there will be surprises, too, because this modern retelling is not a slavish imitation of the past. 

An Inconvenient Wife is one of those books in which you can't say much about the story or its characters without giving something inadvertently away, so I am going to resist temptation and merely say that I enjoyed this book and the surprises I found along the way. Give it a try.

An Inconvenient Wife by Karen E. Olson

ISBN: 9781639365654

Pegasus Crime © 2024

Paperback, 320 pages

 

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A

Source: The Publisher

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: Amanda White lifted the lid from the electric baby bottle sterilizer and stared inside at the .22-caliber revolver.

 

One dark evening on New York's Upper West Side, two women find common ground in their grief, their loneliness, and their need for revenge on the men who destroyed their families. As they talk, they come up with the perfect plan: If you kill for me, I'll kill for you.

 

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when her beautiful brownstone is invaded. Against the odds, she survives her knife-wielding attacker, but will she ever feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger who left her for dead is still out there?

 

Fear. Grief. Loneliness. Revenge. All very powerful motivations...

~

This is the second book using Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train as a stepping stone that I have read this year, and I wondered what my reaction would be. It is a testament to Highsmith's iconic story and Cavanagh's skill that I finished Kill for Me Kill for You with a big smile on my face.

This fast-paced, plot-driven book may leave you feeling as if you're strapped in a car on a wild and woolly roller coaster ride. However, where most plot-driven books fall short in characterization, Kill for Me Kill for You doesn't. It's all too easy to put yourself in the shoes of the grief-stricken Amanda, Ruth, and Scott, and all too easy to hope that Farrow, the homicide detective, will put all the pieces together for some sort of justice to triumph.

 

Since so much hinges on the marvelous plot twists, I can't say much about this book without giving something away, but I will say this: Read it, and don't be surprised if it puts a smile on your face, too.

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

eISBN: 9781668049365

Atria Books © 2024

eBook, 352 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

 

First Line: Sixteen hours before his death, Frederic Delaney realized that he'd left his Hutchinson champagne stopper at home.

 

Bern Hendricks, one of the world's preeminent experts on the famed twentieth-century composer Frederick Delaney, has just received the call of a lifetime. Hendricks knows everything there is to know about the composer, so when Mallory Roberts, a board member of the distinguished Delaney Foundation (and a direct descendant of the man himself), asks for Bern's help in authenticating a newly discovered piece that may be Delaney's famous lost opera, Bern jumps at the chance.

 

With the help of his tech-savvy friend Eboni Washington, Bern soon learns that the truth is far more complicated than history-- and the Delaney Foundation-- would have them believe. 

The two begin to uncover more and more clues that indicate Delaney may have had help in composing his most successful work. Bern and Eboni are caught in the crosshairs of a very powerful organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, but they are determined to move heaven and earth to right history's wrongs.

~

Author Brendan Slocumb's first book, The Violin Conspiracy, was one of my Best Reads last year, so I picked up Symphony of Secrets with a great deal of anticipation. Once again, Slocumb brought me into the world of music and made me feel each note. This book is not only a celebration of music, it also cautions readers about legacy, privilege, and creative genius.

For me, the strongest part of this book was the relationships between various characters and how those relationships changed over time. There's not just the relationship between Bern and Eboni as they work to uncover the truth about world-famous composer Frederick Delaney, there's the relationship between Bern himself and the composer. Bern is a man who has spent his life becoming an expert on Delaney and his music. As more and more facts are uncovered that Delaney did not compose his own music, Bern is no longer the slavish devotee. Now he is a disillusioned knight fighting to right a serious wrong, and if he is to survive, he must shed his naïveté in dealing with the Delaney Foundation.

Perhaps the most profound relationship in Symphony of Secrets is between Frederick Delaney and neurodivergent Josephine Reed, a poor Black woman who just happens to be a musical genius. Theirs is a most personal relationship that also shows how Blacks were treated in the music industry of the 1920s.

I found myself equally enjoying both time periods (present day and the 1920s) as the story unfolded, and I often felt myself working through all the legal and moral implications of what Bern and Eboni were uncovering as they dug up each new clue. Wow. What has Brendan Slocumb got up his sleeve next? I can't wait to find out.

 

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

ISBN: 9780593315446

Anchor Books © 2023

Hardcover, 448 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

 

First Line: For a trial lawyer, there are two words in the English language that terrify us more than any other.

 

The premise is simple: a man is murdered. His two daughters are in the house with him. Each woman makes a 911 call accusing the other of killing him. Which one of them is lying? Which one of them is the killer?

 

~

 

 

Having read and loved Steve Cavanagh's Thirteen, I looked forward to reading Fifty Fifty with a great deal of anticipation. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat. Not necessarily because it was badly written-- it wasn't. It fell flat because it didn't meet my expectations. 

What did I expect? I expected to have to work hard to deduce which one of the sisters was the killer. I knew which sister "done it" almost from the beginning, and that burst my bubble. Granted, I did enjoy watching the main character, defense lawyer and former conman Eddie Flynn, putting the pieces together, but it just wasn't as much fun as playing Sherlock Holmes for myself. 

Sometimes these twisty legal thrillers work, and sometimes they don't. While this one didn't quite hit the mark for me, it was still a good read, and I look forward to reading more of Cavanagh's books featuring Eddie Flynn.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

ISBN: 9781409185864

Orion Books © 2020

Paperback, 368 pages

 

Legal Thriller, #5 Eddie Flynn mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon UK

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

 

First Lines: November 28, 1905. Princeton, New Jersey. The Old North bell tolls the hour, and I realize that I'll be late.

 

In one of the best decisions he ever made, J.P. Morgan hired Belle da Costa Greene, a young woman in her twenties, to work in his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library and curate his collection of rare books, manuscripts, and artwork. Greene rapidly becomes a fixture of New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world. Her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating skills are all aimed at making the Pierpont Morgan Library one of the best of its kind in the world.

 

But over the many years that she works for Morgan, there is one secret that she never tells anyone. One secret that she has to guard at all cost. Belle da Costa Greene is a Black woman passing as white. Her real name is Marion Belle Greener, and she is the daughter of the first Black graduate of Harvard and an impassioned advocate of equality. 

~

Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray tell the amazing story of Belle da Costa Greene, a woman of great intellect and skill who was the personal librarian of J.P. Morgan. Through her hard work and shrewd negotiating skills, she almost single-handedly turned the Pierpont Morgan Library into one of the world's premier libraries of rare books and manuscripts. If that weren't enough to make this novel one to read and savor, the even more amazing fact is that Greene was a Black woman passing as white in the New York high society of racist America. 

The Personal Librarian is an account of Belle da Costa Greene's life and the lengths she had to go to in order to preserve her secret, the aspects of normal life that she had to deny herself in order for her to make her mark in the world. It was far from easy because treachery lurked behind some surprising corners. Imagine having to live your life never knowing whom you could trust. That was Belle's life.

Perhaps the two things I carried away after reading this book were the fact that Greene's mother and siblings seemed to expect her to pay their way through life. She provided them a roof over their heads, vacations, clothing, and more, while the other thing I learned concerned President Woodrow Wilson. Now, I have to admit that Wilson is one of those presidents whom I never bothered to learn much about, so when I found out how he worked against civil rights and equality, my opinion of him rapidly sank to the bottom of the abyss.

At the end of The Personal Librarian, the authors tell of writing the book as a team and of how they weaved together all the various pieces of the secretive Greene's life in order to write the book. If that's the sort of thing you usually avoid reading, you should make an exception in this case. The Personal Librarian is the story of an extraordinary woman and the lengths she had to go to in order to fulfill her destiny. No one should ever have to go through what Belle da Costa Greene and many others were forced to do.

The Personal Librarian by 

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

eISBN: 9780593101551

Berkley © 2021

eBook, 352 pages

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

 

First Line: She first spotted him at Bobbie's Coffee Shop on Twenty-Second Street.

 

Never in a million years had Abigail Baskin ever dreamed of marrying a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb, a good guy who's stable, level-headed, and kind. In other words, a man very different from those in her previous relationships. The wedding is going to plan until Abigail's bachelorette weekend. She has a drunken one-night stand with a complete stranger. She puts the sexy stranger out of her mind and gets set to spend the rest of her life with Bruce.

 

Their honeymoon on a luxurious secluded island is the stuff dreams are made of, but when One-Night Stand Man shows up, Abigail's future starts to unravel. He insists that their fling was something much more meaningful, and he's tracked her down to prove it. Should Abigail tell Bruce what happened? Or should she deal with her stalker on her own? 

 

~

 

I decided to read Peter Swanson's Every Vow You Break on the strength of how much I enjoyed his previous book, Eight Perfect Murders. I have to admit that I did have a couple of reservations. First, the title. I found the Police's mega-hit Every Breath You Take to be downright creepy and could never understand why anyone in their right mind would want to play it at their wedding. It's stalker music, folks, and Swanson's book title directly refers to it. My second reservation was my spotty track record with domestic thrillers. Especially in this subgenre, if there's not at least one character I can like, chances are slim that I'm going to like the book.

Well, my reaction to Every Vow You Break was decidedly lukewarm. To begin with, I had to wade through all of Abigail Baskin's previous relationships in order to understand how different Bruce Lamb was. All that did was make me care less and less about Abigail. Sooner or later, Abigail's going to find fault with anything no matter how perfect it originally was. Her drunken one-night stand made me roll my eyes because it was so obvious something was going to go wrong, and even Bruce seemed too bland and too good to be true, no matter how much money he had. 

Okay. I didn't like Abigail. I didn't like Bruce. Having been the victim of a stalker, I wasn't about to find One-Night Stand Man appealing. So what kept me reading Every Vow You Break? I kept reading because I knew something was going to go wrong and I had to know what it was and how Abigail would manage to get herself out of it. That's why I kept reading.

How did that work out for me? I can see something like that actually happening, but more than anything else, it made me angry. Angry that something like that could actually happen. If you couldn't finish watching The Handmaid's Tale because it made you so angry (like me), you might want to avoid Every Vow You Break. And that's all I'm going to say about what Abigail had to deal with at the end. 

I said that my reaction to Swanson's book was lukewarm, but that's not exactly true, is it? My Dislike button was firmly pushed several times. My curiosity was totally engaged, and a match was struck to my temper. Swanson kept me reacting and kept me turning the pages all right. I just wish I'd paid more attention to my track record with domestic thrillers. Of course, your mileage can certainly vary, and I hope it does.

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

ISBN: 9780062980038

William Morrow © 2021

Hardcover, 320 pages

 

Psychological Suspense, Standalone

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Valentino Will Die by Donis Casey

 

First Line: A rose.

 

Bianca LaBelle and Rudolph Valentino have been friends for years, and since they are the two biggest box office draws inside (and outside) Hollywood, it's a natural for them to appear in a film together. It's a steamy romance called Grand Obsession, and one night while having dinner at Bianca's Beverly Hills estate, Valentino confesses that he's been receiving death threats.

 

In a matter of days, filming comes to an abrupt halt when Rudy falls deathly ill. Has he been poisoned? As he lays dying, Bianca promises him that she will find out who's responsible. After all, she can enlist the aid of private detective Ted Oliver... and she's inherited her investigative skills from her mother.

 

~

 

As luck would have it, I've had the pleasure of reading back-to-back two historical mysteries set in Hollywood. Donis Casey's second Bianca Dangereuse mystery, Valentino Will Die, is set in the Silent Movie Era and involves the legendary Rudolph Valentino himself. 

 

In reality, film star Bianca LaBelle, the heroine of the wildly popular Bianca Dangereuse film series, is Blanche Tucker, daughter of farm woman Alafair Tucker who was last seen in Forty Dead Men. Living on a farm outside tiny Boynton, Oklahoma, was a fate worse than death for teenage Blanche, so she ran away from home and barely managed to land on her feet in Hollywood. (Readers can find out how that happened in The Wrong Girl.) As much as I enjoy this new series, I'm still fond of Alafair, and Casey cannily includes little clues as to how Bianca's family is doing.

The mystery in Valentino Will Die is a good one, and so is the setting. While readers are trying to guess who's got it in for the world's number one heartthrob, they see a fresh-from-Broadway young Hungarian named Bela Lugosi and get to attend swanky parties. Los Angeles mob figures also make their deadly presence known. Amidst the investigating, there are some laughs when Douglas Fairbanks bemoans being typecast, and Bianca learns how difficult it is to make "a stealthy escape from a crowded room when you're famous." But perhaps the biggest laugh of all came from the description of Bianca's beloved dog, Jack Dempsey, a canine that "could be part prairie dog and part something else. Maybe a mongoose. Or a wig." I hope the little guy makes more appearances in future books.

 

I enjoy Casey's handling of historical figures, and while the mystery is deadly serious, she has a light touch that's reminiscent of those silent Perils of Pauline-type serial thrillers. Want to know what's real and what's not? Everything's listed at the back of the book. In the mood for a good mystery to solve? Pick up a copy of Valentino Will Die (and I'm not even going to talk about the ending). I can't wait to find out what Bianca gets up to next!

 

Valentino Will Die by Donis Casey

eISBN: 9781464213526

Poisoned Pen Press © 2021

eBook, 208 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Bianca Dangereuse mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley