The Little Shop of Found Things: Paula Brackston

“An antiques shop haunted by a ghost.  A silver treasure with an injustice in its story.  An adventure to the past she’ll never forget.

“Xanthe and her mother, Flora, leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antiques shop in the historic town of Marlborough.  Xanthe finds she has an affinity with some of the antiques she finds:  While she touches them she can sense something of their past and the stories they hold.  When she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

“It is while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century, the time of its origin.  She discovers there is an injustice in its history.  The spirit that inhabits her new home confronts her and charges her with saving her daughter’s life, threatening to take Flora’s if she fails.  While Xanthe fights to save the girl amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby.  He may be the person who can help her succeed.  He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to return to the present.

“In this first book in a new series, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch’s Daughter Paula Brackston returns to her trademark blend of magic and romance, which is guaranteed to enchant.”

I came across Paula Brackston’s books while scrolling through my Pinterest feed (this seems to be the way I’m discovering most of my new reading material).  I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis seemed interesting, so I gave it a shot and put it on hold at my local library.

Xanthe and Flora uproot their London life to move to the country.  There, in an entirely new setting, they begin their new lives as owners of a small antique shop.  This is Flora’s passion and Xanthe’s joy – especially because she gets to do it alongside her mother.  However, Xanthe has a secret of her own.  Some of the antiques she touches retain echoes of their former owners.  She can sense their lives and their love, their histories and their stories.  This comes in handy when choosing special pieces for purchase or sale in their shop.  Nothing, however, prepares her for the visceral reaction she has to a silver chatelaine she encounters at a local auction.  Xanthe takes a great risk and spends most of their meager funds on purchasing the silver chatelaine.  Shortly thereafter, Xanthe realizes something very important and powerful drew her to this piece with a tragic history.  The ghost of a woman makes herself known to Xanthe and their encounter sends Xanthe back to the Seventeenth Century on a mission to save the ghost’s ill-fated daughter from a horrible end.  Along the way, Xanthe must figure out how to hide her modern-day mannerisms and speech, as well as her ignorance of the customs and activities in order to blend in and help prevent the girl’s death, for the ghost has threatened Flora’s life should Xanthe fail in her mission.  Xanthe is drawn to the dark, intelligent Samuel Appleby, who, despite the norms of the day, seems to appreciate her for her knowledge and finds her enchanting despite her quirks and unfamiliar behavior.  Xanthe’s mission is dangerous and, should she make one misstep, it could mean her own end in the tumultuous times of the early 1600s.  Will she be able to save Alice and, by extension, Flora?  Will she be able to return to her own time or will she be forced to remain in 1605 forever?

I love a good bit of modern British literature and this one fit the bill; not to mention it has romance and magic, which make for a fun and entertaining read (even if books with magical and time traveling themes are not usually my cup of tea).

Xanthe and Flor make for a good mother-daughter pair.  I found their dynamic to be very warm and realistic.  Their backstory seemed realistic as a catalyst to move them from London all the way to Marlborough to open a little antique shop of their own.  The details that go into their shop and the items within demonstrate the obvious love and care put into this book.  The variety of items and descriptions drew me in and, to me, showed just how much Brackston injected into this work; I don’t think the book would have been as successful without it.

There were some minor descriptions of Flora, Xanthe, and some of the more important supporting characters (like Liam and Samuel), but I don’t feel like I got an excellent sense of facial features or even age.  This is something I’ve noted in other book reviews and it’s something I look for in every book I read.  I don’t expect an author to give me extensive descriptions and an exact age, but I find I do need something like, “mid-twenties” and at least an eye color or some distinguishing feature other than hair and clothing to really make a character come to life in my mind’s eye.  I don’t think we’re given even a general idea of Xanthe’s age.  I first pictured her in her early thirties, but, having finished the book, I think she may have been much younger, maybe even her early twenties.  This nebulous sense of age (personally) makes it a bit difficult to form a good idea of the main character and I find it detracts a bit from my enjoyment.  I may be alone here, but I wanted to be sure to mention it because it was definitely something with which I came away having formed a strong impression.

What I found most successful was Brackston’s descriptions of 1605.  The details and settings were spectacular and well-researched.  The Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Centuries happen to be some of my favorite in British history, so it was a joy to discover that Brackston had done so much background work and integrated so many intricate details and crafted the story and its history in so loving a fashion.  Everything from the houses to the clothing, the political and religious strife to the art and architecture, it was all so well-crafted and pleasantly written that it felt natural rather than as if only a cursory review of the time period had been performed.  This is an aspect of Brackston’s writing that I greatly admire and for which I applaud her.

Xanthe was a very good female lead.  She was determined, tenacious, and remained shaped by her history in a believable fashion.  I enjoyed her ingenuity and imperfections.  She is sent on a mission and nothing short of success is acceptable – she simply will not allow harm to befall her beloved mother.  As a driving force behind her mission, I thought it was handled very well.  To have made this into a selfless rescue mission wouldn’t have been as believable (or as believable as magical time travel can be!).

Xanthe’s chemistry with Samuel (and Liam) was very realistic and felt organic.  I enjoyed watching their connection grow and develop into something much deeper – a companionship that would span the centuries.  The romance, while present, isn’t overt and does take a backseat to the main plot; however, I found this better than making this story all about the romance.  Though she may not realize it fully yet, I can tell that her chemistry with present-day Liam will create some difficulties for her down the road.  She and the almost Darcy-esque Samuel bond over a passion for architecture and the beauty of what she knows to be antiques and artifacts, but Samuel sees as modern-day creations and developments.  On the other hand, she doesn’t quite realize just how supportive and caring Liam is – how he cares for her and is willing to overlook her half-truths and quirks.  He suits her, but in a different way.  I think we may have a “Gail and Peeta” dilemma, a-la Hunger Games going on, and I am curious to see how this is going to play out.  Which man is more suitable?  Will she venture to the past or choose the man in her present?  I suppose we’ll have to see how the series plays out.

A minor plot hole I wanted to mention – you may want to skip if you want to be totally surprised by the plot:  The first time Xanthe is sent back to the past, she sees Alice already captured and in the carriage on the way to imprisonment.  The second time she goes, she watches Alice run away before they can put her into the carriage to be carted away.  Every other time she goes back, the periods are perfectly chronological.  She doesn’t bounce around in time.  I think this was done so she would be aware of her mission, but it doesn’t make all that much sense, especially given the exact passage of time between the past and the present.  They seem to occur almost parallel, with the past traveling at a slightly quicker pace than Xanthe’s present, but it never backtracks other than this very first instance.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I found it fanciful and realistic, even for a book with magical time travel.  I can tell there was a lot of love in the story and I think this is part of what made it so successful.  The plethora of details and research made this a unique and special book.  The writing was fun (though those who are less familiar with British slang may need a bit of assistance) and well-paced while the plot was lively and entertaining.  I definitely look forward to seeing where this series will go.

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke: Book Two): Tessa Dare

"HE'S BEEN A BAD, BAD RAKE--AND IT TAKES A GOVERNESS TO TEACH HIM A LESSON

"THE ACCIDENTAL GOVERNESS

"After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post:  transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies.  However, the girls don't need discipline.  They need a loving home.  Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud:  duke's heir in the streets and devil in the sheets.  The ladies of London have tried--and failed--to make him settle down.  Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart...without risking her own.

"THE INFAMOUS RAKE

"Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule:  no attachments.  When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education--in pleasure.  That should prove he can't be tamed.  But Alexandra is more than he bargained for:  clever, perceptive, passionate.  She refuses to see him as a lost cause.  Soon the walls around Chase's heart are crumbling...and he's in danger of falling hard."

What a pleasant way to start the new year:  reading a new book by one of my favorite authors.  And this latest installment in the Girl Meets Duke series took me only a single day to enjoy.  I very much enjoyed the first book in this series and really looked forward to reading the second.  Unfortunately, at that time, it hadn't been released yet.  So I had to wait...and it felt like forever (when it was really only a few months) and I was thrilled when I finally got my hands on a copy of "The Governess Game".  There is little I love more than an excellent series with recurring characters who were once secondary and now have books of their own -- especially when those characters are vivid, lively, unique, and have very strong personalities.

We first met Alexandra and (very briefly) Chase in Emma and Ash's story, "The Duchess Deal".  Alexandra is presented as rather quiet, extremely intelligent, and devoted to her work.  The glimpse of Chase we are given hints that he's in charge of small girls -- though why, we do not know -- and that he's a devilishly handsome flirt.  This book stayed true to that information, though Alex really seemed to find her voice.  I'm glad because a shrinking flower rarely makes a fantastic female lead.  Alex turned out to be determined and interesting, with a very unique and captivating backstory.  I really enjoyed how she handled her accidental position as governess and her reaction made it much more realistic.  I appreciated her methodical thought processes and her determinedness to give Daisy and Rosamund what they so desperately lacked.  Her unconventional tactics were charming and lent an air of fun and fantasy to the story.

Chase was, for the most part, a very good male lead.  I thoroughly enjoyed his personality and his very quick wit.  I believe I said something very similar about Ash; I think Dare has really perfected the art of the charming, intelligent, humorous male lead without making him seem too goofy or macho.  This is one of the things that can really make or break a story in this genre.  So many think it's easy to write good romance (even my husband -- who rarely takes note of my reading materials -- has mentioned that he thinks books of this genre are far too common), but these critics have no idea what it takes to write really captivating male leads.  It takes another level of author entirely to write excellent romance.  They key is to make the readers fall in love with the characters.  To be able to write unique characters (and not simply spout out very slightly different versions over and over again because the formula works) is an art.  I know I can hear some scoffs out there, but I assure you that I've read enough books -- both romance and other genres -- to say that it is not as easy as one might believe to craft characters with whom the readers can truly connect on numerous levels.  Chase is a good example of this.  He has a good backstory and a complicated life.  While there was a good portion of the book from his point of view, I felt like a vast majority of it was dedicated to his feelings about Alex or his past/present/future as it might relate to or impact her.  I can understand the rationale behind his decisions, but he bordered ever so slightly on a dramatic martyr.  This is, perhaps, one of my only critiques.  I just wanted a touch more about his personal life or experiences -- not necessarily solely as they related to Alex.  What were some of his hobbies -- other than perfecting the libertine arts?  I found his personality charming (as charming as the rake was intended to be) and his humor was fun to experience.  By far the quick banter between Chase and Alex had to be one of my favorite aspects of this book.  He was a man after my own heart with his subtle caring ways and his willingness to play along with Daisy's penchant for holding funerals for her beloved doll after gruesome "illnesses."

Daisy and Rosamund were, quite obviously, the most prominent secondary characters.  And I found them spectacular.  They were quick little girls who were bruised by their past and reluctant to open their hearts.  Some might feel them a bit over the top (I'm referring to the repeated doll funerals), but I had cousins just about their ages exactly and I can tell you that these were some rather perfect characters.  Their precociousness and knack for trouble made them fun, but their unique personalities and fascination with "unwomanly" things made them special.  They suited the plot and the other characters quite well.  I was charmed by their determined little spirits and their delightful torture of their guardian and governess(es) -- yes, that was intentionally plural.

We also see Nicola, Penny, Emma, and Ash once more.  Emma and Ash seem to have settled quite nicely into their marriage (yay!  I do so love happy endings); Penny is her usual, animal-loving self; and Nicola is baking away and tinkering -- ever protective of her friends.  I've some reason to believe Penny's will be the next in the series and, with her trusting and open-hearted nature, that could make for a very interesting story, indeed

I absolutely recommend this book; was there ever a question that I wouldn't?  As much as I've always loved Dare's writing, I think it's only continuing to get better.  Her characters are becoming even more alive and their stories are fun and unique.  Her writing has a way of drawing you in and you never want to put the book down.  My only regret is that I finished reading this book so darn quickly.

A Grave Matter (Lady Darby Mystery: Book Three): Anna Lee Huber

"Scotland, 1830.  Following the death of her dear friend, Lady Kiera Darby is in need of a safe haven.  Returning to her childhood home, Kiera hopes her beloved brother, Trevor, and the merriment of the Hogmanay Ball will distract her.  But when a caretaker is murdered and a grave is disturbed at nearby Dryburgh Abbey Kiera is once more thrust into the cold grasp of death.

"While Kiera knows that aiding in another inquiry will only further tarnish her reputation, her knowledge of anatomy could make the difference in solving the case.  But agreeing to investigate means Kiera must deal with the complicated emotions aroused in her by inquiry agent Sebastian Gage.

"When Gage arrives, he reveals that the incident at the Abbey was not the first--some fiend is digging up old bones and holding them for ransom.  Now Kiera and Gage must catch the grave robber and put the case to rest...before another victim winds up six feet under."

I was thrilled to get back into the "Lady Darby Mystery" series.  It's no secret that I very much enjoyed the mystery and thrilling adventure (as well as the subtle, steamy romantic tension between Kiera and Gage) in the first two books of this series.  I had to wait a bit for this book to come in as a loan from another library, but boy did I ever devour it once I finally got my hands on it!  A little over two days later and I'm already writing my review!

We encounter a grieving Kiera a couple of months after Will's death at the close of book two.  She is depressed and seems to have lost a good part of herself in the fog of melancholy -- so much so that she cannot even bring herself to paint.  Though she makes efforts to heal and participate in life, she struggles to come to terms with the permanent and very tragic loss of her friend and mentor.  Her brother, Trevor, does his best to allow her space, but it's clear that he's worried about her grief.  I found him to be a well-rounded secondary character and a nice counterpart to Kiera's often-brooding nature in this book.  He's a good mixture of humor and seriousness.  Having him fall one way or the other would have felt either forced or overwhelming in the unrelenting seriousness.  It was nice to see another of Kiera's siblings since we've already spent a great deal of time witnessing her interactions with her elder sister, Alana, and her husband.  While I adore the relationship that's been cultivated between Alana and her husband, it's refreshing to have a new setting and prominent new secondary character -- it keeps things interesting!

When an unfortunate omen immediately precedes a horrible murder the night of the Hogmanay Ball, Kiera knows what she must do:  she's obligated to put her investigative skills and medical knowledge to good use -- especially in the absence of anyone else suitable.  She's surprised to realize just how willing she is to do such a thing.  Perhaps this is her way of throwing herself into work that would consume and distract her from the reality of Will's death?  Perhaps she's found another calling?  Or maybe the investigation is a way to once more make her feel close to Gage?  Either way, she jumps right into the investigation and, shortly thereafter, it's requested that she call Gage in to assist (because now everyone knows they've worked together before on two (successful) occasions).  She's unsure how she feels about inviting the handsome, charming, intelligent, confusing, frustrating man back into her life, but she really has no choice.  He's been specifically requested and Kiera knows there's no better man for the job.  Gage's arrival unleashes a myriad of confusing emotions within her, but -- as he slowly opens himself up to Kiera and reveals his true intentions -- she begins to realize just how much he's come to mean to her and the real danger he might pose to her future.

The romance is a wonderful undertone to the story, though it does take a more prominent role in this book than the previous two.  This is, of course, not to say that the series has become a "romance series" -- at least not yet.  The captivating mystery and intrigue still remain strongly at the forefront.  The twists and turns of the story and investigation kept me guessing.  I wasn't sure I knew who was at the heart of the crimes almost until Gage and Kiera did.  This is no small feat.  Huber artfully omits just enough information or has her characters skim over important bits in such a way that the readers are kept guessing throughout.  I like to believe that I'm not an easy reader to fool, but Huber manages to do this time and time again.  There's real talent in this writing and mastery to the storytelling.  I find myself pulled deeper and deeper into Lady Darby's world each time I pick up another book in this series.  The enthralling mystery, spectacular characters, artful blend of fiction and historical fact, all set against the stunning backdrop of England and (mainly) Scotland serve to create a fascinating world perfect for a reader's escape.

There were a few grammatical errors (I think they were just missed in the editing process), but they tripped me up where I had to make sure it was a typo and not just a turn of phrase I didn't comprehend the first time around.  I don't blame this on Huber, but the editing process.  These were tiny word errors rather than plot holes or mistakes, so I won't judge them too harshly.

As always, I highly recommend Huber's writing.  She has a knack for writing thrilling stories and amazing characters -- all while managing to stay true to their very strong, individual personalities throughout the series (at least thus far).  I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Kiera and Gage.

Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City's Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation: Brad Ricca

“IN 1917, ON THE DAY BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY, EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD RUTH CRUGER DISAPPEARED. WHEN THE POLICE GAVE UP, A MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN BLACK VOWED TO FIND HER…

“Mrs. Sherlock Holmestells the true story of Grace Humiston, the detective and lawyer who turned her back on New York society life to become one of the nation’s greatest crime fighters during an era when women were rarely involved with investigations.  After agreeing to take the sensational Cruger case, Grace and her partner, the hardboiled detective Julius J. Kron, navigated a dangerous web of secret boyfriends, twofaced cops, underground tunnels, rumors of white slavery, and a mysterious pale man, in a desperate race against time.

“Grace’s motto ‘Justice for those of limited means’ led her to strange cases all over the world. From defending an innocent giant on death row to investigating an island in Arkansas with a terrible secret, from warring halls of Congress to a crumbling medieval tower in Italy, Grace solved crimes in between shopping at Bergdorf Goodman and being marked for death by the sinister Black Hand.  Grace was appointed the first female U.S. district attorney in history and the first female consulting detective to the New York Police Department.  Despite her many successes in social justice, at the height of her powers Grace began to see chilling connections in the cases she solved, leading to a final showdown with her most fearsome adversary of all.

“Mrs. Sherlock Holmesis the first-ever narrative biography of this singular woman the press nicknamed after fiction’s greatest detective.  Her poignant story reveals important clues about the relationship between missing girls, the media, and the real truth of crime stories.  The great mystery of Grace’s life—and the haunting twist ending of the book—is how one woman could become so famous only to disappear from history completely.”

As the year draws to a close I realize there has gradually become a sad gap in my reading materials.  There was a loss in my family that hit very, very close to home and I fear that put a rather large dampener on my desire and will to immerse myself in reading -- no matter how escapist I normally find this activity to be.  It's been a little over three weeks now and I'm just beginning to get back into some of my normal habits (less the interruptions of the holidays) in time to try to finish a few more books before the year ends.  I still want to try to keep my tally up (even if I don't think I'll achieve my goal to complete the 2018 reading challenge I began a little bit late into the year)!

This book was yet another Pinterest find; however, I didn't realize it was nonfiction until I went to go pick it up at my local library and the catalog sent me to the nonfiction section (thank you all those years working as a nonfiction page at my local library for helping make my search through the Dewey Decimal System painless).  I've been on a bit of a "Sherlock Holmes" kick in my reading and television watching, so this book naturally caught my eye as I was scrolling through my feed.  A female Sherlock?  Set in early Twentieth Century New York?  I was intrigued.  When I discovered this was actually a work of nonfiction, I was still interested, if a little bit unsure.  I must admit that my occasional fascination with true crime shows were what made me end up borrowing this book.  The few reviews I did skim indicated that, while this book was a work of nonfiction, it read more like fiction.  This was spot-on.  Ricca's writing is vivid with details and he crafts settings like one would expect from a work of fiction.  This serves to transport the reader rather than talk "at" the reader, which is sometimes the greatest pitfall of nonfiction.  Instead of feeling like I was reading a transcribed lecture, the book was filled with captivating details.

I found the tenacity, ingenuity, and creativity of Mrs. Grace Humiston to be remarkable and truly underscored the assertion that she is America’s female Sherlock Holmes.  I was impressed with the way in which she approached her cases and refused to accept the obvious simply because it was the easiest explanation.

I do have some criticism for this work.  The introduction with the bit about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s visit to America with his wife, while interesting, added little-to-nothing to the actual plot and story (other than to try to create a stronger connection between Grace and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most infamous literary creation).  I expected it to come back into play in some fashion, but it really did not.  The readers were then introduced to the mystery of the missing girl, Ruth Cruger.  Even the title of the book indicates that this is going to be the focus of the book…however, Ruth’s story is quickly shoved into the background in favor of accounts of Grace’s investigations into the white slave trade in America.  While interesting – and while I eventually saw the possible connections to Ruth’s disappearance – I felt like it really took over the book.  This wasn’t what I was expecting.  The sheer amount of research and cases and investigations probably could have amounted to their own separate book.  It felt like there was a long span of time before Ruth’s case came back into play and this slowed down my reading.  I was expecting to read about a fascinating “gone girl” case, but it steered more toward the white slavery angle and then abruptly turned back to Ruth.  I can see why this information was included, but felt it could have been abbreviated for the sake of sticking true to the book’s subtitle.  Honestly, I don’t think I would have minded this as much had the subtitle not led me to believe that we’d be focusing on Ruth’s case.  It was all interesting information and, had I gone into this book believing this was a biography about Mrs. Humiston, then I would have felt differently.

The research that went into this book was superb.  All of the details and cases, the investigations and hearings, the interviews and tactics were recounted spectacularly.  I mentioned earlier that this book reads more like a work of fiction than nonfiction and that is why I feel it was successful.  It could have so easily turned into a flat biography or read like some sort of dry account of a case (or several), but it didn’t.  The anecdotes and dialogue along with the meticulous research brought Mrs. Humiston’s story to life.  I truly believe she’s a hero for all that she did for investigative work and law in early Twentieth Century America, but I’m ashamed that she’s been almost entirely forgotten, relegated to obscure knowledge and history.  She deserves to be known for all that she uncovered and accomplished—as well as for her seemingly limitless bravery and dogged determination to truly do what was right, even at a personal cost.

If you like true crime murder mystery shows (think anything on the Investigation Discovery channel or some “Dateline” specials), then this book is right up your alley.  The writing style makes it a relatively smooth read and the subject matter is captivating.  While I had some critiques for some of the (what I felt to be) excess information, I don’t think it’s necessarily detrimental to the book.  It remains well-written and covers a very interesting topic.

The Queen of Hearts: Kimmery Martin

"A debut novel set against a background of hospital rounds and life-or-death decisions that pulses with humor and empathy as it explores THE HEART'S CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS...


"Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school.  Now they're happily married wives and mothers with successful careers -- Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon.  Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years.


"As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie's life -- both professionally and personally -- throughout the tragic chain of events during her third year of medical school that she has long since put behind her.  Nick's unexpected reappearance at a time of new professional crisis shocks both women into a deeper look at the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers.  As it becomes evident that Emma must have known more than she revealed about the circumstances that nearly derailed both their lives, Zadie starts to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend."


This book took me nearly a month to finish (as evidenced by my relatively long hiatus posting reviews on here), and this does not really bode well for a stellar review.  I will cushion this statement with the truth that I’ve been dealing with health issues and some personal/familial tragedy, so I’ve simply been unable to force myself to read all that much.  Granted, a brilliant book can be an escape from the rigors and draining nature of the real world, but the medical nature of this sotry had some rather poor timing in my personal life – this is, of course, not really the book’s fault.  I was initially drawn to it via yet another Pinterest search.  This was also a new release at my local library and all the pieces just seemed to fall into place.

I began reading The Queen of Hearts very shortly after I finished the book I reviewed just prior to this one.  I was immediately sucked into the fast-paced worlds of Zadie and Emma.  One of the biggest draws for me was the happy realization that it was set in Charlotte, North Carolina – where I happened to live for a year while attending college.  It’s always very entertaining to run across places with which you’re familiar; it breathes a special kind of life into a book.  An added bonus is that my uncle was a doctor in Charlotte as well, so I was familiar with the hospital and lives of these surgeons (I’ve yet to ask him if he’d ever worked with Dr. Kimmery Martin, the author).

The first part of the book had excellent pacing.  I was introduced to Zadie and Emma, the interesting nature of their friendship, and the very different lives they lead.  The pacing does change and I think that was part of my problem.  It began to feel a bit choppy.  Eventually, the story bounces back and forth from intense present events to the pivotal time in 1999 when Zadie and Emma were still medical students and tragedy struck.  They learned what it is like to be a doctor, and they also learned how to cope with their own mistakes and suffer through unexpected loss.  This use of perspective  – bouncing not only in time and space, but also between Zadie and Emma – sometimes got a bit more confusing than was pleasant.  There was a concerted effort to create a stark differentiation between the bubbly, scattered Zadie and ice queen Emma, but it fell short.  I lost their unique voices a few times in their different sections and had to go back to remind myself whose perspective I was reading.

The dark secret was, I thought, handled fairly  well.  Snippet after snippet was revealed, making me think, “There it is…  No, this has to be it!” several times.  When the real secret does finally come to light (in its entirety), it truly was deep and dark…and I can understand why she (I won’t tell you which “she”) did her best to cover it up all this time.  I must also admit that everything following the admission of the complete truth felt a bit rushed – literally the entire book led up to this moment and it wound up finishing before I got any real satisfaction from experiencing the aftermath.  The friendship between Zadie and Emma was so time-tested and the secret so powerful that I was left feeling a bit hollow at the end – the “resolution” felt a bit unrealistic to me.  This might come off as not making much sense, but I cannot give too much away without revealing huge plot twists (and I certainly don’t want to ruin those for you).  All said, I think I would have liked the “big reveal” to happen sooner, or to have more time to watch the characters absorb the truth.  The ending was tied up a little too quickly and neatly for my personal taste.

The medical aspects of this book – their lives as medical students and careers following some twenty years later – read a lot like “Grey’s Anatomy”.  If you’re a fan of medical dramas (complete will on-call room booty-calls), then you’ll enjoy this book.  I am a fan of “Grey’s” (especially the older seasons), so this was no trial for me.  In fact, it was part of the draw of this book.  So many people not directly in the medical field don’t realize what doctors – especially surgeons – go through on their path to their ultimate career.  It’s a life filled with exhaustion, stress, loss, triumphs, pain, and mental strain.  Reading about this from an author who is also a doctor was refreshing and very realistic.  I would be very interested to know just how many of the patients Zadie and Emma encounter in this book were borrowed from real-life experiences of Dr. Martin and her colleagues.

While I liked parts of this book, the rapid shifts in time and perspective sometimes left me a little bit lost.  Even with the impending revelation of the deep, dark secret, the latter half of the book dragged much more than the beginning did.  As I mentioned before, this was partly due to my own inability to focus, but I won’t take all of the blame here.  I think part of it was the writing style and then some of it was the addition of unnecessary details – especially in some of Zadie’s medical school flashbacks as they pertained to her group of friends.  I can see what Martin was attempting to achieve (again, sort of like the close-knit misfit group in “Grey’s Anatomy”), but I didn’t feel that it always necessarily added something.  Some passages could have been used for an entirely different book.  The ending of the story wasn’t as satisfying as I was hoping.  I liked the characters’ personalities and some of my favorite scenes were those between Zadie and Emma with their respective husbands; however, the voices sometimes blended together with all of the bouncing around.  Is this book worth trying out?  I would say so.  Do I give it a glowing recommendation?  Not necessarily.  There’s nothing terribly wrong with it, I just wasn’t as sucked in as I would have liked to have been.  I'm not totally sold by the forgiveness at the story's conclusion, but perhaps there's something to be said for the power of Zadie and Emma's relationship.

Happy reading!

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia: C. W. Gortner

"INFAMY IS NO ACCIDENT.  IT IS A POISON IN OUR BLOOD.  IT IS THE PRICE OF BEING A BORGIA.

"Bestselling author C. W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families.  Glamorous and predatory, the Borgia fascinated and terrorized fifteenth-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions.  Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?

"With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome.  Benefitting from their father's elevation are the new pope's illegitimate children--his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia--each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court.  Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family's fortunes.  But Rome is seductive and dangerous:  Alliances shift at a moment's notice as Italy's ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay.  As Lucrezia's father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary.  But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile.  Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.


"Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia's coming-of-age in her own voice.  What results is a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse."


At the risk of stating the obvious, it took me a very long time to read this book (as evidenced by the gap in dates between my last review and this one).  I flew through the latter half of it, so I'd have to say the cause of this delay was the fact that the beginning -- the part leading up to Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni -- dragged on a bit.  It was interesting and filled with rich details; I can see parts were integral to setting up the characters and backstory, but I just wanted the book to get going.  There was nothing "wrong" with the first part of this book, per se, but I guess I just expected a book on the Borgias to be filled with subterfuge and intrigue right off the bat.  It took a bit to get going, but I will say that there was more than enough of this to keep me satisfied as the story progressed.


I enjoy European history, but I must admit that I knew surprisingly little about the Borgias before I picked up this book:  1) They were scandalous, murderous, cunning, ruthless, and powerful.  2) They resided in Italy.  3) They would stop at nothing to see their family succeed.  See?  That doesn't amount to much when you do even a little bit of digging and find out the rumored and true depths the Borgias went to in order to help see their family into the heights of power.  I knew even less about Lucrezia Borgia as an individual.  I recall reading some rumors about incest and murder, but this book's aim appears to have been to dispel some of these stories.


Written from the first-person perspective, I found the voice in this book to be interesting.  It covers Lucrezia's life across approximately a decade, seeing her from a naïve girl -- the apple of her powerful Papa's eye -- to a woman no longer disillusioned that her family will protect her if it goes against their own interests even in the slightest.  Shortly after her father ascends (bribes and threatens his way) to the height of religious power as Pope, Lucrezia engaged at thirteen to a man in his twenties.  The alliance is created to suit the Vatican's political aims and hopes to quell any issues with the powerful Sforzas (another recognizable name in Italian history).  She and her three brothers are the children of Rodrigo Borgia, the new pope, and a married woman, Vanozza.  Cesare is the eldest and Lucrezia's beloved elder brother.  He's handsome, talented, intelligent.  Though the Spanish title of the Borgia's is his birthright, his father forces him into the Church instead, with the aim of making him a Cardinal.  Juan is the adored favorite by both parents.  He's brash, ill-tempered, poorly-behaved, and the rivalry between Juan and Cesare which began into the cradle extends throughout their lives, encompassing even their younger sister.  After Lucrezia comes Gioffre.  She adores her younger sibling, though it becomes clear that Rodrigo is uncertain whether or not the child is actually his.  He is hesitant to issue word that he's the boy's father, but he allows him to use the Borgia name and makes sure that he's well married to suit the Borgia aims.


As the story progresses, so do the voice and narration style.  Lucrezia very slowly comes to terms with the evils of her family and learns (imperfectly) to play their games.  She realizes that, as a woman, she is a pawn; however, she is not without weapons of her own.  She falters and feels helpless at times, leaning, when she can, on Cesare.  As time passes, Lucrezia learns that her desires account for very little on the chessboard of Renaissance Italy.  She is bartered for alliances and even used as a spy against her own husband -- a matter made more complicated when she learns one of her brothers may be involved with him.  One of the more complex subplots is the relationship between Lucrezia, Juan, and Cesare.  The brothers have always been pitted against one another; their sister's favor is just another area in which they compete, though Cesare is the clear favorite over the cruel, bloodthirsty Juan.  The complex relationship creates an undertone of attraction between Lucrezia and Cesare, both confusing and terrifying for the girl.  Juan takes note of this and discovers the perfect way to have his revenge upon them both.  This sets into motion a turn of events which will forever change the Borgias.  Murder and secrets, revenge and covetousness are the plagues of the Borgia -- and it seems even Lucrezia is not immune.


After the dissolution of her first marriage to Giovanni, Lucrezia returns to society harboring a dark secret.  She is given little reprieve before she is informed of her father and eldest brother's newest machinations to see her married off in yet another alliance.  This time, they seem to have taken her interests into account.  They've allowed her to have the final say...and this time, she won't settle for anything less than love.  Finally, it seems like Lucrezia is allowed to have some happiness in her life.  She learns of what it truly means to be a wife after the farce of her first marriage and she finds protection in the arms of her second husband.  Unfortunately for Lucrezia, the Borgia reach is far and intimate.  Her happiness cannot last forever -- not as long as Borgia interests take precedence.


While the love between Lucrezia and her second husband blossoms, her relationship with Cesare becomes more strained and dangerous.  Cesare, having shed his role of Cardinal, becomes a powerful tour de force in Italy's complicated and often violent military history.  He throws himself into his tactical ventures, determined to see the name Borgia carved forever upon Italy -- he will see them live on infamy with the other great Italian empires.  Lucrezia, who knows her brother best, notices there is something terribly wrong with him.  Gone is his cool cunning, replaced with an almost irrational and violent nature.  He is ill.  And it seems that he'll stop at nothing to achieve what he most covets, even if that means destroying what little peace Lucrezia has been able to obtain.


There's a delicate, successful balance of history and fiction contained within this book.  Ripe with names, dates, and actual historical events, you feel as if you're learning something while you enjoy a work of fiction.  Granted, there is a great deal of literary license to be taken with a family as secretive and complicated as the Borgias were (the author even notes that little is known about what actually took place behind closed doors with the Borgias), but it does seem as if a great deal of research and thought was put into this book.  I would recommend a basic knowledge of the Catholic Church, the historical role of the Pope, the power the Vatican held, and the history of Italy prior to picking up this book or you may be a bit lost.  You don't have to be an expert, just have some basic knowledge or there's a chance you might not appreciate the strength, power, and influence of the Borgia family.  Lucrezia, I felt, was a great narrator and main character.  She changed and grew over time, learning that she may be a beloved Borgia daughter, but that amounted to little in the grand schemes of her family.  Cesare was another dynamic character.  He went from hero to villain, from beloved brother to selfish rival.  I wanted to believe his love for Lucrezia would win out over his own ambitions, but we learn over time that this was not to be.  The first half of Lucrezia's life was rather tragic, marked with only a few brief periods of joy before her family, once again, intervenes with their own designs.


The book took a bit to get going, but I did eventually get sucked in.  I'm glad that I stuck it out.  If you're a fan of historical fiction based upon real people and events, then this is right up your alley.  If you have an interest in infamous Italian/Spanish families, then all the better.

What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr Mysery, Book One): C. S. Harris

"The year is 1811.  As old King George III sinks deeper into madness, and the threat of social unrest and revolution haunts the privileged classes, a beautiful young woman is found raped and savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient parish church not far from Westminster Abbey.  An ornate dueling pistol discovered tangled in the blood-soaked folds of Rachel York's cloak and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars.  When a vicious attack during his arrest leaves a constable near death, Sebastian must run for his life.

"Now a fugitive, Sebastian calls upon his experience as an agent during the war to embark on a desperate quest to catch a brutal killer and prove his own innocence.  Ranging from the glittering ballrooms and sedate salons of Mayfair to the squalid back alleys and fetid churchyards of St. Giles, Sebastian accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including a street urchin named Tom, an opium-eating Irish doctor, and a lovely but mysterious actress who calls herself Kat Boleyn.  Years ago, Kat broke Sebastian's heart.  Now she may hold the key to his salvation -- or doom him to destruction.

"For as he plunges into a world of intrigue and espionage, Sebastian discovers that Rachel York was more than what she seemed.  When the twisted path leads from a French spymaster to a Machiavellian power broker, and from there to the future Prince Regent, Sebastian begins to realize that Rachel's death holds ominous implications not only for Sebastian's own family, but also for the future of the British monarchy.

"Seamlessly weaving historical fact and an intimate knowledge of the period with a multilayered and compelling story, What Angels Fear is a stunning fiction debut by a powerful new master of mystery and suspense."

I stumbled across a later installation of this series on the New Release shelf at my local library.  Anyone who reads this blog knows I've been on a bit of a mystery/suspense kick as of late, and I particularly favor period mysteries.  This one fit in perfectly.  To my surprise, my local library actually had the first book in the St. Cyr series and I very much looked forward to cracking it open.  I was hoping that it would be a captivating blend of murder-mystery and period drama; I was not left disappointed.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is implicated in the gruesome murder of a young actress in a church.  He's known to have some strange characteristics and abilities, making people suspicious of the young lord newly returned from the violence of the Napoleonic battlefields.  Perhaps the horrors of war have scarred him too deeply to allow him to walk freely amongst the people of London.  With the impending announcement of the Regency, England is uneasy and wary of any nobleman who might get away with such a violent, twisted crime.  There are calls for Devlin's blood and he does the only thing he can do:  He runs.  Though he knows the timeline for the murder is impossible -- he's entirely innocent of any such crime on English soil -- no one believes him.  And matters are only made worse when the unfortunate injury of a constable during Devlin's arrest appears to mark him as the violent animal everyone believes him to be.  Calling upon his skills attained on the Continent from his time spent as a spy for the British cause, as well as his unnatural physical abilities, Devlin manages to evade capture as he doggedly sets out to prove his innocence and seek justice for the slain young woman.

What Devlin does not expect to uncover is the complex web of lies and alliances, the network of political subterfuge, and the multitude of pawns in play on the intricate board that is Europe during the early nineteenth century.  Each fact he discovers seems only to reveal more questions, leading him down yet another wending path with blind turns and danger as his only companion.  Along the way, Devlin realizes that his family is more involved in the scandal than he originally believed.  Still, he remains determined to uncover the truth, even if it means the ruin of the St. Cyr name.

Along the way, we meet a band of lively characters.  The undercurrent of romantic tension with Kat Boleyn was a pleasant and tense layer to this multifaceted story.  The history between them is complicated, to say the least -- each of them extremely stubborn.  Devlin knows Kat has connections and skills which could very well save his life; however, he doesn't know the dark secrets Kat must withhold even from the man she secretly loves.  Though Devlin suspects she's somehow embroiled in the complex web, he has no idea just how deep the connection runs.  And Kat will do everything she can to keep it that way.  Tom is a street urchin Devlin meets when the boy tries to pick his pocket at an inn shortly after Devlin's initial escape from custody.  The boy has remarkable skill and drive, lending an air of complexity to his character.  He has a deep sense of loyalty and a seemingly endless supply in the belief that the truth triumphs, despite the hints that his past has proven anything but.  His sense of humor and quick wit lend levity to an otherwise dark and heavy plot.  Though Devlin resists at first, he quickly learns that Tom can come in handy.  Even with Devlin's skills and abilities, Tom has a way with people and a knowledge of the streets which Devlin puts to very good use.  Tom even manages to help Devlin out of a few close calls along the way.  In addition to these very prominent secondary characters (though Kat is a bit more complex than a simple "secondary character" because several chapters are, indeed, from her point of view), Devlin encounters several others whom liven up the plot and aid him in his search for the true killer.  His old friend, an opium-addicted doctor from the war, uses his medical knowledge to clarify the facts of Rachel's death, revealing truths which reveal hidden motives and startlingly grim truths about the murderer.  Devlin even forms a connection with a well-dressed grave robber, an expert at procuring bodies for medical and...personal...purposes.  Along with these men come a bevy of possible suspects ranging from Devlin's own family to those in the higher echelons of the monarchy; a Frenchman in exile who is more than he appears; an Italian artist with remarkable talent and a fascination with the beautiful dead woman.  Readers are left guessing almost until the very last chapter who is responsible for Rachel's death.

Harris weaves together an intricate fictional storyline with historical and political fact.  The settings are remarkably detailed and vivid, revealing the truly ugly sides of nineteenth century London.  Even with the filth and grime, there's a morbid beauty in these descriptions of London which call to mind the glorious poems of William Blake (see his works "London" and "The Chimney-Sweeper" for excellent examples, if you're interested -- I can absolutely see echoes of Blake's work here).  The marked differences between the suffering of the people and the privilege of the aristocracy are made painfully blatant in this book, adding notes of reality to the plot.  This is, perhaps, one of the things which pulled me in the most.  There were no romanticized depictions here, only harsh, bleak realism.  This was a very different approach than what I am used to when reading period fiction and I, for one, appreciated it, especially because it was handled so artfully.  I felt transported; sometimes in a way which made me uncomfortable.  It was a new sensation which, to be honest, made me start and stop a few times within the first half of the book.  The delay in my reading had nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the interesting nature of the story, and everything to do with the fact that it made me think and it made me experience emotions I'm not necessarily accustomed to when reading.  These ended up being what make this story so special.  The story is violent and dark, twisted and mysterious.  It's not going to be a book for everyone, but, man, does it end up being an exciting, thought-provoking read.

Devlin was a fantastic lead.  A lot of the mystery/suspense books I've read lately are told from the first-person; I ended up enjoying the fact that this book was not.  It's a format I'm more used to and I find that I'm more drawn to a narrator who is more removed from the story -- I don't always want to feel like "I" am the main character because it can sometimes read a little bit like a Fanfiction.  It was very interesting to see the way in which his mind worked and to experience his abilities as we do.  At first, I thought his yellow eyes, heightened senses and reflexes were a bit over-the-top (more like the author was attempting to create a cool, superhero-like main character than one who was realistic, which felt slightly out of place in the hyper-realistic setting), but I was very pleasantly surprised to discover in the Author's Note that Devlin's abilities and physical attributes are part of a very real genetic mutation (I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff).  This made me appreciate him all the more and it turned a once-unbelievable main character (though cool, nonetheless) into one who was perfectly suited for the life of a spy and to get himself out of what appears to be a hopeless and impossible situation.

As this book is the first in a series, the conclusion sets up the possibility for more adventures.  It also leaves a great deal of unanswered questions about the heavily-guarded secrets of Devlin's family history -- things for which some would be willing to pay dearly and others would do anything to protect.  With his drive and talents, I think Devlin makes a captivating main character and I really am looking forward to seeing where the series takes him.

While the story took me a few days to really get into (which I've already explained above), the plot moved at an excellent clip and contained so many twists and turns that I was often left spinning, just like Devlin.  I was invested in his search for the murderer, and I desperately wanted to see him clear his name.  The subplot of his complicated romance with Kat was an excellent touch and really fleshed him out.  It gave him a rich backstory even more intricate than his just having an uneasy relationship with his surviving family members, and the fascinating time he spent at war.  The hints of PTSD were a realistic touch to his character.  Devlin is strong and unique, but not infallible.

I will reiterate that this book will not be for everyone.  Like most murder-mysteries, it has some very intense violence and grim themes.  The vivid writing style, however, can make this even more disturbing to some readers, so I will caution you if you're weak of stomach or have an averse reaction to such things.  This is not a happy book on any level, but it is a fascinating one.  It keeps you guessing, it makes you think, and you don't see the end coming until it practically slaps you across the face.  Kudos to an author who managed to hide the truth from me for about 300 pages -- this is no easy feat.  I hope the same can be said of the other books in this series.  Another part of what makes this book so masterful is the fact interwoven with the fiction.  Harris is an accomplished scholar and it is certainly apparent in her knowledge of the time period in which this book is set.  I recommend this book to those with a strong continence, a love of intrigue, an admiration for strong male leads who have a soft spot for a strong woman, and who enjoy more than a little suspenseful mystery.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Devlin in reviews to come.