June reads

THE SECRET LIVES OF BOOKSELLERS & LIBRARIANS by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann (5*) NF/Audio

A fabulous ode to books and reading. I’ve got a suspicion I’ll be revisiting this book several times in the future.

THE PICTURE HOUSE MURDERS (Miss Clara Vale #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith (4*)

Went back to the start of the Clara Vale series since I enjoyed books #2 and 3 so much. Didn’t love this first instalment as much as I did the sequels, but it was still a fun introduction to a captivating character operating in a fascinating historical period (1929). I love the emphasis on female rights and other historical details such as the start of talking movies.

MONA OF THE MANOR (Tales of the City #10) by Armistead Maupin (4.5*) Audio

I can't believe I've reached the end of my Tales of the City journey. Hopefully there's more to come but I fear this may be it. But if it is the last tale of the city, what a perfect way to bow out. This is an action and emotion-packed story that had me captivated from start to finish. I'm going to miss these books and these characters.

CABARET MACABRE (Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mystery #3) by Tom Mead (5*).

A captivating historical mystery filled with impossible murders, victims, and intrigue. I’m in awe of how the author manages to explain that which appears to be impossible. Three books into this series I’m a huge fan and can’t wait for book #4.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/cabaret-macabre-by-tom-mead.html

MURDER AT GREYSBRIDGE (Inishowen Mystery #4) by Andrea Carter. (4.5*)

Two suspicious deaths at a summer wedding keep solicitor Ben O'Keeffe on her toes as she tries to figure out what exactly happened and more importantly why. Throw in two potential love interests, and a somewhat gothic setting, and you end up with a fascinating page-turner in which everything is somehow connected. This well-plotted and expertly told mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish.

THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY (Miss Marple #3) by Agatha Christie (5*)

“When there’s anything fishy about, I never believe anyone at all!

What’s not to love about a Miss Marple mystery by the fabulous Agatha Christie. Even the fact that I more or less knew who dunnit and expected the major twist didn’t spoil my fun.

A MAN LAY DEAD (Roderick Alleyn #1) by Ngaio Marsh

Strictly speaking a re-read but considering that it is 40+ years since I read this book for the first time it might as well have been a new-to-me story. And now that I've reconnected with Roderick Alleyn I am pretty sure I'll revisit other books in the series even if I'm not 100% sure that Ngaio Marsh plays completely fair with the reader when it comes to clues and the resolution of the mystery.

A VERY BRITISH MURDER by Lucy Worsley (4*) NF

Blurb: In A Very British Murder, Lucy Worsley explores this phenomenon in forensic detail, revisiting notorious crimes like the Ratcliff Highway Murders, which caused a nation-wide panic in the early nineteenth century, and the case of Frederick and Maria Manning, the suburban couple who were hanged after killing Maria's lover and burying him under their kitchen floor. Fascination with crimes like these became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, puppet shows and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism. At a point during the birth of modern Britain, murder entered the national psyche, and it's been a part of that ever since.

Interesting and easy to read. While the book covers 200 years of crime writing and all of it was fascinating, I much preferred the section dealing with the golden age of crime. My one concern is that I f Lucy Worsley can get a fact like the number of children Agatha Christie had wrong, I can’t help wondering if there are other mistakes in this book. Thankfully Mrs Worsley didn’t repeat her mistake when she wrote Agatha Christie’s biography. A Very British Murder was based on a three-part TV documentary with the same title and in what came as a huge surprise to me, I preferred the series over the book.

The IT Girl by Ruth Ware (4*)

An intriguing mystery in which Hannah, a young, pregnant woman revisits the murder of her best friend and roommate when the man convicted for the crime dies after a decade in prison. He claimed to be innocent until the day he died. But if he didn’t do it, who did? Can Hannah uncover the truth without putting herself and her unborn child in danger? I enjoyed this story although I do feel it could probably have been about 100 pages shorter without losing any vital plot points.

GUILTY BY DEFINITION by Susie Dent (5+*)

Guilty by Definition is a fascinating, original, and well-plotted mystery as well as an ode to words set in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary. This title will almost certainly make it into my top 10 reads for 2024.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/guilty-by-definition-by-suzie-dent.html