Review - The English Girl

I have reviewed the previous book in the series, The Fallen Angel (click here).  Now I am reviewing the newest in paperback from Daniel Silva.

Author: Daniel Silva

Copyright: May 2014 (Harper) 498 pg

Series: 13th in Gabriel Allon Spy series

Sensuality: some sexual references, occasional cursing

Mystery Sub-genre: Thriller

Main Characters: Gabriel Allon, art restorer, assassin, and Israeli spy legend

Setting: Modern day: Corsica, France, London, Russia

Obtained Through: Personal purchase

Madeline Hart is young and on the fast-track in the British government.  But she is kidnapped during her vacation on the island of Corsica. There is more to the kidnapping than just money, Madeline was the mistress to the Prime Minister of Britain.   Jonathan Lancaster, the PM, recieves a tape of Madeline being forced to admit to the affair in detail.  The kidnappers demands:  In 7 days she will die and the public will receive the confession if you don't pay up.  Who do you turn to when you and your government must not be connected to her disappearance or any payment for her?  Britain turns to the U.S. who in subesquently asks for Israel's master spy Gabriel Allon.  Gabriel takes the assignment rather personal in his quest to save Madeline from her indescretions that could take her life.  What he finds is a tangled web and Madeline is just a pawn in a much bigger game.

Gabriel Allon must deal with remaining feelings about the car bomb that left his first wife in an institution and killed his child in the  midst of searching for Madeline Hart. His future looks to be taking a different direction as well.  Chiara, doesn't get as much of a role in the plot this adventure, but has a few moments -- particularly the end which is touching.  Christopher Keller, former British Special Air Service agent who is now an assassin for a Corsican mobster joins forces with Gabriel.  He is frightening in his devotion to his job and might, just maybe, becoming a recurring character.  Eli Lavon, the head of Israeli intelligence, is in the field for parts of this tale, which was a pleasure. Mikhail Abramov, fellow Israeli operative, goes undercover in one part of the story and displays nerves of steel necessary to be a spy. 

The Corsica setting is particularly rich and vibrant, while the London and France settings are covered quickly.  Russia's glitzy dangerous side is exposed this time as the oil executives play.

The plot of using a mistress to manipulate a national leader is plausible, and even the kidnapping hiding a far more sinister plan (false flag operations) is conceivable.  But would a disgruntled former Russian oligarch and oil executive jump to help Gabriel?  Pacing was fairly consistant with barely a slow spot. 

The climax was not clear cut, the story unfolds and daring operations are executed to get to the truth.  However the wrap-up is touching and bittersweet.  Without having read the prior twelve books in the series, this is an exciting thriller with intricate twists and fascinating characters in a world of intrigue.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 


Here is a short interview with Daniel Silva about this book.

Author Guest Post - Kate Carlisle

I have been following the Bibliophile Mysteries for a while now, I have reviewed the seventh book, Cookbook Conspiracy (click here), the sixth book, Peril in Paperback (click here), the fourth, One Book in the Grave (click here), and the third book in the series, The Lies that Bind (click here).  But I have not had the opportunity to interview the author Ms Carlisle.  So I am tickled to feature a guest post today.  Please welcome Kate Carlisle to our little slice of the blogosphere.

I Love What I do
 
Did you watch the Oscars earlier this year? In her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, Lupita Nyong'o thanked her director with a luminescent smile and tears in her eyes. "This has been the joy of my life," she said. 


Happiness radiated from her and lifted the mood of everyone who watched.


I could relate to what she was feeling. Writing the Bibliophile Mystery novels has been the joy of my life. I get to immerse myself in everything I love—rare books and bookbinding, history, food, romance, humor, and whodunits. (I was going to say "murder," but saying I love murder makes me sound like a psychopath. I don't love murder, but I've always enjoyed books in which a murderer is caught. Justice… served.) Plus, in writing the books, I get to connect to a community of readers who love the same things that I love, and who enjoy books that both entertain them and make them think. 


Joy. Of. My. Life. 


A Cookbook Conspiracy was released in hardcover and ebook last year and is now available in mass market paperback. It's a perfect example of all of my great loves coming together in one story. Rare books, history, food, romance, humor, and a whodunit that will keep you guessing until the end.

Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright is stunned when her sister Savannah, a chef, asks her to restore the one-of-a-kind journal and cookbook of an indentured servant who came to America before America was a country. In fact, this woman lived during the time of the Revolution, and symbols scribbled in the margins of the journal lead Brooklyn to believe that she may have been a spy. 


One of the things I love best about writing the Bibliophile Mysteries is being able to research whatever historical time period captures my fancy, through the appearance of a rare and precious book from that time period. While writing A Cookbook Conspiracy, I delved into the American Revolution, and particularly the fascinating spycraft of the time. Imagine trying to communicate across vast distances in a time of war, before the existence of the internet or telephones or even telegrams. Any message you sent could be intercepted, and the messenger killed. So how do you organize? Secret codes and ciphers were born of necessity. 


For the story, I invented Obedience Green, a young English woman who came to America as an indentured servant. Through brief passages from her journal, Obedience comes to life for the reader as a woman who nearly lost her life on the ship to the New World, and went on to become the trusted cook for a British general. But was she using the recipes in her journal to transmit secret messages to the other side? Which side was she fighting for, and how is it possible that a twenty-first century celebrity chef was murdered the very day that this 240-year-old journal came into his possession? Brooklyn doesn't know, but she's determined to find out because her sister is the prime suspect in the chef’s murder. Savannah was discovered with his body… and a bloody fish knife in her hand. 


I like my mysteries with a lot of humor, and I hope you do, too. A Cookbook Conspiracy is available now wherever books and ebooks are sold. I'd love to hear from you! You can contact me via my website, www.katecarlisle.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/katecarlislebooks. 


Have you experienced the joy of your life in your personal or professional life? Share a moment that made you feel happy. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

THANK You Ms. Carlisle for that delightful post. 

 

Review - A Tiger'sTale

I reviewed the first book in this series, Woof at the Door (click here), author interview (click here), and a guest post (click here.)  Today I am reviewing the second in the series.  Let's see how well the second book did in the Call of the Wilde mystery series.

Author: Laura Morrigan

Copyright: May 2014 (Berkley Publishing) 337 pgs

Series: 2nd in Call of the Wilde Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Thriller

Main Characters: Grace Wilde, Animal behaviorist who speaks with animals telepathically

Setting: Modern day, Jacksonville Florida

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Boris the Siberian tiger has witnessed the kidnapping of a teenaged volunteer at an animal rescue facility. The normally mellow tiger gets into attack mode and Grace is called.  She finds why Boris is so upset and realizes that the volunteer has not been reported missing.  She jumps in to find this missing girl and gets more than she imagined with mobsters and hit-men.

Grace Wilde is an interesting main character with spunk and determination with a reasonable manner.  Sergeant Kai Duncan is the romantic interest on the police force who facing Grace's talent. The policeman-as-boyfriend has become a common trope, but in-spite of that trend it is okay in this series.  Not great, but okay. Grace's sister Emma is a party planner and is my favorite fictional sister -- just saying! She is gutsy and loyal.  Grace's closest buddy, Moss, her half wolf is probably the star of the series, and in this book is challenged with a task.

The plot was interesting in that Grace is the only person who thinks a crime has been committed, and she can't openly say the tiger witnessed it.  The story unfolds with revelations and kept my interest throughout.  The story climax had plenty of tension and action and was the frosting on the cake. 

An exciting follow-up to the stellar debut novel for this series, setting this up for a solid series that appeals to more than animal lovers.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Guest Author Post - Laura Morrigan

Ms. Morrigan has been so gracious as to give us an interview last December (click here) and I reviewed the debut book in her new series, Woof at the Door (click here.) 

Laura Morrigan is a Florida Native whose work at a local zoo, helping out with everything from “waste management” to teaching an elephant how to paint, served as inspiration for her Call of the Wilde Mysteries. She still lives in Florida and is working on the third book in the series.

Three unexpected things I learned after becoming a published author.

1. People read your book. I know, this seems to be a given, but I'm always a little surprised when I get emails from readers who express love for a specific scene or ask detailed questions about character motivations. The first time it happened I thought, "Holy crap! This person actually read my book!" Well, yes, what did you expect, Laura? (Disclaimer: I’m a natural blonde.)

2. Your book may alter these people’s perspective. This was hard to get my head around and was totally unexpected. I've had numerous readers tell me they no longer look at their pets or even their friend's pets the same way. They wonder what Fido or Fluffy is thinking or feeling.

I had one woman tell me she was more patient with her dog after reading my book.

Whoa.  Talk about awesome!

3. You don't read nearly enough. Amongst my friends and family, I would be considered a voracious reader. Compared to some folks I've met at... let's say, Malice Domestic, I would be called peckish at best. I'm talking five-plus books a week people! It's gotten to where I cringe when someone starts a sentence with, "Have you read…"

Though I read a lot-- it’s not enough. I’ve read some classics--but not enough. It’s never enough! 

Review - Murder in Merino

Sally Goldenbaum has been so kind us here with an interview (click here), first guest blog (click here), and second guest blog (click here).  I have reviewed several prior books in the series, including the third book, The Moon Spinners (click here); fourth, Holiday Yarn (click here); the fifth, The Wedding Shawl (click here); and the sixth, A Fatal Fleece (click here).  Now the eighth book is out and here is the review.

Author: Sally Goldenbaum

Copyright: May 2014 (NAL) 320 pgs

Series: 8th in Seaside Knitters Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy

Main Characters: Nell Endicott, her niece Izzy Chamber, friends Birdie Favazza, and Cassandra Halloran

Setting: Modern day Sea Harbor, Massachusetts

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

It is fall in Sea Harbor, the quiet time between summer vacationers and the autumn leaf peepers.  But when all others have left, there is a mysterious woman who is still in town and has a determination to buy a very specific house...Izzy's old cottage, although she’s never set foot inside.  Then the woman is found standing over the body of the popular bartender in the cottage's back yard.  Additionally, Cass is going through a lot personally that has her friends concerned for her.  Nell and Ben's fortieth anniversary is fast approaching and preparations are gearing up as well.

Let me introduce you to the knitters:

• Nell: the motherly spirit of the group.
• Birdie: the spirited elder who is hard to keep up with.
• Cass: the lobster-woman with a gentle heart - truly a rough diamond.
• Izzy: Nell's niece, recently had her first child and owns the knit shop.

Besides the Seaside Knitters, there is the mysterious Julia Ainsley who kept me guessing--well done on this character.

As usual, the harbor town is rich in textures, smells, and community interests.  But, this story brings out more of the history as past events impact the present. 

This cozy utilizes an event that could easily occur and builds upon it for a realistic plot.  The pacing is a stroll, as this group of friends trudge through the layers of time and people.  This series is more about the characters and what they discover over time talking with neighbors and friends to uncover the truth.  The book takes place in three or four weeks time.  There wasn't much of an urgency to the pacing, which is acceptable in a cozy but some might desire more drama.

This is indeed a cozy, for series fans feel like returning home as they read.  The community of Sea Harbor and the characters are a large part of the flavor and appeal as the best and most popular cozy series exemplify. 

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list