A Murder at Balmoral - Chris McGeorge

A Murder at Balmoral is Chris McGeorge's new 'locked room' mystery. I absolutely adore this format!

The setting is of course, the Royal Castle at Balmoral. McGeorge's Royal Family is fiction, based on Edward VIII not abdicating the throne. One of his progeny - Eric - is the current King. Although, there are a few sly similarities to some current Royals. (But no disrespect in regards to the recent passing of the Queen)

It's Christmas and the King has directed that his immediate family come to Balmoral for the holidays. The staff are sent home - excepting the head of security and Jon, the chef. And what else is needed for that locked room mystery? A blizzard of course, which completely cuts off anyone coming in or going out. 

From the publisher's description: "The king is dead. The killer is in the family. Solving this murder will be a royal pain."

The book is told through Jon's eyes, ears and actions. He is to act as the de facto investigator as directed by the other family members. Here's where the Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot feel kicks in. He begins with individual interviews. But he really doesn't know what to ask. Jon has his work cut out, trying to still wear his chef's hat, remember his station - oft reminded by some of the Royals - and enduring some blatant racism. Where things go next is influenced by many unexpected twists and turns. Some of them are a bit unbelievable, but just go with it - those somewhat over the top moments make the book a lot of fun to read.

The culprit is indeed known by the end chapters. But the whodunit and epilogue surprised me with a situation that there's no way to predict. And the prologue now made sense to me. 

I enjoyed A Murder at Balmoral. McGeorge is a new to me author and I'll happily pick up his next title. See for yourself - read an excerpt of A Murder at Balmoral.

Livid - Patricia Cornwell

I really enjoyed Autopsy, Patricia Cornwell's last Scarpetta novel. The publisher described the book as a 'relaunch' of this long running series, taking Kay Scarpetta back to her roots in Virginia as the state's Chief Medical Examiner. I thought it was a great read and I was looking forward to the next entry in this series. 

Well, it's here. Livid (#26)  has just released and it's a great read!

Livid opens with Kay giving evidence at a contentious trial. The trial is being telecast and the prosecutor is putting on one heck of a performance. (I was livid on Kay's behalf!) Bu the day isn't over yet for Kay - she's called to a death that has ties to the case. 

The recurring, supporting cast all seem to have an interest in the death as well. Cornwell has kept the characters moving forward in life with successes and sadness. Kay's Secret Service forensic psychologist husband Benton, her FBI niece Lucy and my personal favorite - Pete Marino, who works for/with Kay. The relationship between Kay and Marino was contentious in the beginning of the series, but I'm happy with where Cornwell has taken Marino in this latest. He's a valuable resource instead of being portrayed as a thorn in her side. However there is a new thorn in the side character. Kay has inherited a secretary who is loyal to the old boss and quite resentful of Kay.

The plotting is wonderful, with no obvious whodunit. I love not being able to figure out an ending until it's revealed. Facets of the crime had me going on line to see if a piece of weaponry that comes up in the case was futuristic or already here. The answer is quite frightening. Livid takes place over the course of a few days with another body being added to Kay's caseload.

What I've always enjoyed with the Scarpetta books are the detailed forensics. I'm fascinated by how the smallest discovery can provide clues. 

Cornwell's writing makes for addictive reading with lots of action, lots of head butting from many sources, unexpected turns, revelations and more. There are pockets of domestic life that let us see Kay as more than her job. In a few past books, I found there was too much, but the ratio is spot on in these last two books. 

There's a sense of completion and satisfaction at the end - but the door is open for the next entry. Which I will be waiting for! And while this is a series, it can absolutely be read as a stand alone. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Livid. 

The Favor - Nicci French

The Favor is the latest release from writing duo Nicci French. 

Dr. Jude Winter has not seen her old high school boyfriend Liam for eleven years. She is quite surprised when he turns up at her workplace. He asks Jude for an odd favor, but she feels she can't say no, as he did her a favor many years ago. He asks her to drive his car to a cottage he's rented about an hour away, then later pick him up at a nearby train station and take him to cottage. He'll explain why when he gets there.

Okay, so that premise - there are so many paths the plot could take. I did wonder to myself why she would agree to this odd request - and lie to her fiancé about it. 

But it's the police who arrive at the train station - not Liam. And after eleven years, Jude is immersed in Liam's life - his family, his friends and their tangled relationships. And again, I had to question her decisions and motives. It's just too odd a dynamic to be taken at face value. I can see visit to the house,  but she keeps returning over and over again. And the same toxic interactions repeat themselves. This is where the book really bogged down for me - it was repetitive. I also think I expected more of a crime novel or police procedural. Instead, the book seemed to be an exploration of the relationships of the myriad residents of the house, which are dysfunctional with a capital D. This group also feels like a lot of stereotypes were brought into play. 

The ending brings an unexpected answer for the whodunit and the reason behind it that I appreciated. But it wasn't enough to bump this higher than a three for this listener.

I did choose to listen to The Favor, as the narrator was a favorite of mine. Imogen Church has such an expressive voice. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and well paced. Her intonation moves, rising and falling as she captures the tone of the French's plot and the demeanor and emotions of the characters. She provides many different voices for the characters, making it easy to know who is speaking. Her delivery of dialogue is exemplary, giving me the creeps many times. A wonderful performance. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of The Favor. 

Meredith, Alone - Claire Alexander

Meredith, Alone is Claire Alexander's debut novel. 

In the opening pages, we meet Meredith - who has not left her home in over 1214 days. Now initially, I thought oh, Covid. But no, the book was written prior to that. 

She has a remote job, wonderful friends who understand, an online support group, hobbies such as jigsaw puzzles and baking and a cat named Fred. There is a reason that Meredith has not left. But it's not revealed until we've come to know her better. A then and now narrative allows the listener to see behind the barriers she's erected to stay 'safe'. And the barriers are under siege as the 'then' is knocking on her door, threatening her sanctuary.

Meredith is a wonderfully likeable protagonist. Despite her own issues she's kind, thoughtful and engaging. She has a wonderful circle of support that is just as likable. On the flip side is her family. Especially her mother. Oh, I had a hard time with her. She's deliberately cruel, manipulative and abusive. As the past continues to reveal itself, the trauma Meredith has weathered is so saddening. (There's other trauma besides her mum, but I don't want to supply spoilers, so I'll let you discover those on your own.

Now, that being said, I don't want you to think the narrative is all negative. It's quite the opposite actually. Meredith's journey will have you reaching out for the tissue box, urging her on.  And it's not just Meredith - the supporting players all have their own issues. And that's the thing - everybody has 'something'. 

Alexander has done a wonderful job of bringing difficult scenarios to life in a realistic, believable manner. Gentle readers, there are a number of triggers in this book.

I chose to listen to Meredith, Alone. The reader was Freya Mavor and she was a wonderful choice. Her voice fit the mental image I had for Meredith. Her diction is clear and easy on the ears. She enunciates well and the speed is just right. She has perfectly caught the emotions, actions and situations of the book, bringing the characters to life. This is one of those books that is better having listened and become immersed in the book. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of Meredith, Alone.

The Night Ship - Jess Kidd

I've enjoyed Jess Kidd's previous novels and happily picked up her latest - The Night Ship.

Kidd's new novel takes inspiration from an actual historic event - the sinking of the Dutch ship Batavia in 1628. Historical figures are part of the book as well. Our narrator, a nine year old girl named Mayken, is fictional.  

Three hundred years in the future (1989), a nine year old boy named Gil comes to visit his grandfather on the island that was the site of the sinking of the Batavia. He is the narrator of this time as well. 

I found myself more drawn to Mayken and her time span. I am fascinated by this point in history and this book being partially true, drew me in. Mayken also has a feistier attitude, she's clever, bold and brave. Gil has had a difficult upbringing so far. The island is not a refuge for him and his grandfather is distanced. But....I really had a hard time trying to find empathy for Gil. He is the author of many of his own problems. Again, I reminded myself he has had a traumatic childhood. I found a number of the supporting cast in this time period to be overdrawn and over the top. Some of Mayken's actions also require a few grains of salt - but I found I was happy to do that. 

Tying the two together is a mythical creature and a relic that has survived the years. That, and the fact that they are both children struggling in difficult situations. I have to admit, as the book progressed, I was expecting something more, something more concrete or hoping for something more concrete, something bigger, but it never materialized.

I wish the protagonists would have been older and in their teens. I would have found the narratives more believable. Nine year old protagonists are a bit too young for me.   

This was a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the historical chapters, but I wasn't drawn to Gil's narrative at all. It's almost like there are two books being told in alternating chapters with not enough to tie them together. I'm an outlier on this one I think. I encourage you to take a look at the other reviews on Goodreads. 

I chose to listen to The Night Ship. The narrators were Fleur De Wit and Adam Fitzgerald. De Wit narrated Mayken's story and Fitzgerald voiced Gil's. De Wit has a pleasant voice that is easy on the ears. She enunciates well and speaks at a measured pace. Her voice has movement. I did find her esses to be a bit sibilant. She provides a child's voice for Mayken. Unfortunately I found it became annoying about halfway through the book and too cutesy. Fitzgerald has a strong Aussie accent that I loved. Some may find it takes a bit getting used to. His reading is expressive and captures the plot. He does not provide a different, younger voice for Gil. Instead this time period is told in one voice. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of The Night Ship. 

The White Hare - Jane Johnson

If you enjoy historical fiction steeped in a lovely gothic atmosphere, then you need to pick up Jane Johnson's new novel, The White Hare. It's a fabulous read!

1954, deep in a valley named The White Valley in the Cornwall District of England. We meet mother, daughter and grandchild, Magdalena, Mila and young Janeska as they arrive at a broken down house in the valley. It hasn't been lived in for many years and needs quite a bit of work done. Work also needs to be done on the relationships between the members of the family.

What other elements make this such a good read? All those gothic bits. First off is the house, of course. The atmosphere/setting was incredibly detailed and depicted. The forest, the shores of the sea, the darkness and the isolation. The rumors, beliefs, signs  and inexplicable events and portents that envelope the valley. A mysterious handyman who guards his privacy. Women in distress. Surly villagers. A romance perhaps. Or maybe a death. And so much more...

Johnson does a wonderful job with her story. I was caught up in the opening pages and literally couldn't put it down. Best read on a rainy night, with a pot of tea and a dog by the fire. See for  yourself - read an excerpt of The White Hare. 

We Spread - Iain Reid

I've read all of Iain Reid's books. Each one has brought something different, unusual and unexpected. And that's also the case with his latest - We Spread. 
 

Penny has been living in the same apartment for fifty years. Her partner has passed on. Penny has been getting out, but really has no contact or relationships  with others, excepting her landlord. She has a bit of memory loss (and sure, doesn't everyone her age?) So, my thinking was that We Spread would be an lament for aging. It was and it is. But it's much more.  

As an observer we are witness to Penny's failing memory and her deteriorating  physical condition until the inevitable happens - she has a serious fall. 

Unbeknownst to Penny, her partner had arranged for just this eventuality. Penny is moved to Six Cedars Residence, a small long term care facility in an older house, surrounded by trees. There are only four residents and two staff members at the home. Penny, although distressed by the move, is impressed.  

 And it's wonderful. Or is it? What we come to know of the other residents and staff is through Penny's eyes and experiences. The reader is left to their own imagination and interpretation of what she encounters. And my mind had more than one outlook and outcome happening. The tension rises with every page turned. Reid's dialogue is sharp and short and is very effective in 'speaking' for Penny. Out loud and internally. Aging, art and relationships and more are also explored. There's much food for thought for everyone in We Spread - whether it's yourself or a family member. 

As the book neared the final pages, I still had not made up my mind as to what was really happening. And the ending? Perfectly Iain Reid. See for yourself - read an excerpt of We Spread.

We Spread - Iain Reid

I've read all of Iain Reid's books. Each one has brought something different, unusual and unexpected. And that's also the case with his latest - We Spread. 

 

Penny has been living in the same apartment for fifty years. Her partner has passed on. Penny has been getting out, but really has no contact or relationships  with others, excepting her landlord. She has a bit of memory loss (and sure, doesn't everyone her age?) So, my thinking was that We Spread would be an lament for aging. It was and it is. But it's much more.  

As an observer we are witness to Penny's failing memory and her deteriorating  physical condition until the inevitable happens - she has a serious fall. 

Unbeknownst to Penny, her partner had arranged for just this eventuality. Penny is moved to Six Cedars Residence, a small long term care facility in an older house, surrounded by trees. There are only four residents and two staff members at the home. Penny, although distressed by the move, is impressed.  

 And it's wonderful. Or is it? What we come to know of the other residents and staff is through Penny's eyes and experiences. The reader is left to their own imagination and interpretation of what she encounters. And my mind had more than one outlook and outcome happening. The tension rises with every page turned. Reid's dialogue is sharp and short and is very effective in 'speaking' for Penny. Out loud and internally. Aging, art and relationships and more are also explored. There's much food for thought for everyone in We Spread - whether it's yourself or a family member. 

As the book neared the final pages, I still had not made up my mind as to what was really happening. And the ending? Perfectly Iain Reid. 

The audio version of We Spread is so very good. The reader was the fabulous Robin Miles. She has such an expressive voice. Her voice is easy to understand, clearly enunciated and has movement in every sentence. Miles embodied the character of Penny perfectly! I could believe I was listening to an older women with memory issues. I could feel her fear and frustration of the changes of herself, as the atmosphere at Six Cedars. The pace of her reading matches the story, with pauses at significant points. Miles excelled at depicting the emotions of Penny. A fabulous performance of a stellar book. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of We Spread.

Righteous Prey - John Sandford

What's better than a Lucas Davenport book? Or a Virgil Flowers book? The answer of course is - a new book with both of John Sandford's fantastic protagonists. Righteous Prey has just released. This is #32 and the series hasn't lost any ground over the years. Instead it's has just better and better. 

Sandford opens the book with a heinous crime. Five wealthy billionaires have decided to pass judgement on those they deem as a blight on society. But they're not being quiet about the murders. Instead they send missives to the media, celebrating their actions and encouraging others to take a stand. (Sounds frighteningly familiar doesn't it?) "We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered."

Lucas is now a US Marshall and Virgil is with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). They've worked together before and both singly and together they have high solve rates. And they both despise the FBI, who also have been called in. This pair have their own way of investigating and sometimes a few corners are cut...

The banter and dialogue in Sandford's books is razor sharp and so much fun to read. The tension never lets up in this latest. The plotting is absolutely fantastic. Lucas and Virgil are on the right track, but keep missing the perpetrators by a sliver. The clues, the intuition and sometimes just luck all play a part on the way to the final pages. There's a nice surprise in the final pages. 

Fans of this series will appreciated a cameo from Kidd. And Virgil now has a side gig - and I'm very curious to see if there's more to it in future books. 

An easy five stars. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Righteous Prey. 

I'm always looking forward to the next book from John Sandford. Keep your eyes out for Dark Angel - the second Letty Davenport book coming out in  April 2023.

One Woman's War - Christine Wells

It was the subtitle of Christine Wells' new book One Woman's War that caught my eye. 'A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny'. Uh huh, I was curious too. With so many WWII books being penned now,  I find am getting a bit choosy on which one I choose to listen to. 

Here's the facts...

"Dame Victoire Evelyn Patricia Ridsdale, Lady Ridsdale, DBE (née Bennett; 11 October 1921 – 16 December 2009), known as Dame Paddy Ridsdale, was a British secretary and intelligence operative. She was author Ian Fleming's secretary during World War II and was the model for the character Miss Moneypenny, being M.'s loyal, long-suffering secretary, who is smitten with James Bond."Isn't that fascinating? 

Wells builds her story on a actual event that took place in WWII. I'm going to let you discover what that is on your own. Wells adds a fictional twist to that event with the addition of a double agent with their own agenda. I quite enjoyed the subterfuge on both sides. 

But it's not all spy stratagem. Wells gives the main characters rich personal lives as well, making them easy to imagine.

Wells' settings are wonderfully depicted through her descriptions of offices, restaurants, dance clubs, homes, food, clothing, social expectations and more. 

I liked how Wells took these factual bits and actual events to bring us an entertaining and realistic look at the past. 

I chose to listen to One Woman's War. The choice of narrator was another reason I chose to listen.  Saskia Maarleveld is an award winning narrator and a favorite reader of mine. Her voice is pitch perfect for this story. She has a rich, lower toned voice that is easy on the ears and well enunciated. The accents she provides for the characters are real and easily identify the players. Her reading has lots of movement, easily capturing the tone and action of the events and the feelings of the characters. Another excellent performance. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of One Woman's War.

The Winners - Fredrik Backman

Fredrick Backman has just released The Winners - the third book in his 'Beartown' trilogy. Backman is hands down one of my favorite authors. I have been (not so) patiently for this final chapter. 

Quick catch up for those who haven't read the first two. Beartown is a hard core hockey town where winning is everything. Beartown has a long standing rivalry with a neighboring village. The drive and animosity between the two has had shocking repercussions over the last few years. The basis of the novel is hockey, but at it's heart it is the story of the players, their families and supporters. It's the story of their plans, hopes, dreams, schemes wins and losses. And it is this exploration that has made the first two novels five star books for me. 

It is two years on in The Winners and the book takes place over the span of two weeks. Much can happen in a short time - and does. The cast of all three books is large and diverse, with the young players affecting me the most. In this latest the parents and adults are featured as well. Each and every story is poignant and so well written. And hard to listen to. Backman's books make the reader feel - and again I was moved to tears, shaking my fist in anger and my head in disgust. 

The books have an unnamed narrator who delivers some bombshell sentences that you don't see coming. The foreshadowing is razor sharp - and I was torn. I wanted to know what was next for the town, its rivals and residents. But, on the other hand, I didn't want to confirm it. 

I chose to listen to this latest. The reader was Marin Ireland - one of my favorites and a very versatile reader. She has a clean, clear voice that's easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. She's chosen a voice that suits the unnamed narrator - the bearer of good and bad. Sometimes her delivery is dispassionate with a factual tone. Other times the emotion is palpable. Ireland does a wonderful job in delivering both. She has a lot of motion in her voice. She provides some believable and easy to identify voices for the many characters. I'm so glad that the same narrator has been used with each book - the continuity is much appreciated. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening to a book often draws me deeper into the story. And that's most definitely the case with The Winners. Absolutely recommended. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Winners.  And take a minute or two to think about the title...