Category Archives: Mysteries/Crime

July in Review

Posted on August 1, 2020 by

July brought a few baby steps toward normalcy. I started using my library’s no-contact curbside service, which works really well. And my church started having outdoor services last week, with masks, social distancing, and reservations required. (The reservations are to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime, Nonfiction | 3 Comments

June in Review

Posted on July 3, 2020 by

Now that I’m into the third month of the pandemic, my new at-home life just feels like normal life. Virginia is opening up a bit more, but I expect to be working at home indefinitely, and it will be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Fiction, Mysteries/Crime, Nonfiction | 8 Comments

February Reading in Review

Posted on March 1, 2020 by

I hadn’t intended to read all of the 2020 Tournament of Books contenders, but once I’d read most of them, I couldn’t help myself and ended up finishing the list. Alas the TOB brackets have my favorites (Girl Woman Other, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary, Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 16 Comments

What I Read This Summer: June Readings

Posted on November 28, 2019 by

Instead of attempting to review all the books I read while on my unplanned break, or leaving them entirely unrecorded, I’m going to do a series of posts with mini-reviews of what I read when I wasn’t blogging. If anyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Contemporary, Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 6 Comments

Never the Bride

Posted on May 6, 2019 by

Having lived a (very very) long life, Brenda, the narrator of this novel by Paul Magrs, has settled in Whitby to run her own B&B. Her best friend Effie has a junk shop next door, and the two ladies enjoy … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 4 Comments

The Secret Place

Posted on April 28, 2019 by

The Secret Place of Tana French’s fifth novel is a bulletin board at St. Kilda’s School, where girls can leave notes, sharing their secrets anonymously. When Holly Mackey, daughter of Frank Mackey from The Likeness and Faithful Place, finds a note about … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 6 Comments

The Break

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

Katherena Vermette’s novel, The Break, is the story of an Indian community and a crime that connects them. It begins with Stella, a Métis woman, who sees a woman being raped in the area by her house that she calls “The … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 6 Comments

The Four Last Things

Posted on March 22, 2019 by

As an avid reader of crime fiction, I’m not easily rattled by dark content. I have my limits — I avoid reading about torture when I can, for instance — but I don’t mind violence when it’s intelligently used in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 2 Comments

Broken Harbor

Posted on March 2, 2019 by

I continue to love Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series, and Broken Harbor, the fourth book, may be my favorite yet. It felt a little leaner than previous books, and the murder at its heart is particularly disturbing. Plus, it explores … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 4 Comments

Faithful Place

Posted on January 6, 2019 by

Frank Mackey was far from my favorite character in The Likeness. He caused all sorts of trouble for Cassie and Sam, largely because of his own arrogance. So I wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend a whole book with him. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mysteries/Crime | 8 Comments