Weyward - Emilia Hart

Oh, look that cover - isn't it gorgeous? Even better is the story that awaits you in Emilia Hart's debut novel, Weyward.

Hart's book unfolds through the narrative of three women over the course of five centuries. In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft. In 1942, Violet is virtually a prisoner in her family's manor house. And in 2019, Kate is on the run from her life in London.

What ties the three together is their family tree and Weyward Cottage. There's more of course, but not all of them are aware yet of their strengths, abilities or what came before. 

Hart tells her story in rotating points of view, often ending at a place I couldn't wait to return to. (Makes for lots of late night reading!) And as those time periods flip, you realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 'Nuff said. "The thought sparks fury in her. She's not sure if it's a new feeling, or if it was always there, smothered by fear. But now it burns bright in her blood."

Hart's descriptions of nature are beautiful and remind us to appreciate what grows and lives in a garden. And to take solace and peace from Mother Earth. "For I had begun to suspect that nature, to us, was as much a life force as the very air we breathed." 

Weyward is a brilliant, bewitching debut.  I can't wait to read what Hart writes next. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Weyward.

Hello, Transcriber - Hannah Morrissey

The cover of Hannah Morrissey's debut novel caught my eye - and the description of Hello, Transcriber sealed the deal.

"Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets."

We meet lead character Hazel as she stands on a bridge in the city of Black Harbor...where the river is whispering to her to jump.

That dark, unsettling, foreboding tone and atmosphere continues on, living on every page. I was totally drawn into the story from those first pages. And the best bit of all was that I had no idea what was going to happen. The plot of Hello, Transcriber was different, unexpected and appreciated. I was caught off guard many times. Hazel was not what I expected at all. Her choices lead her into questionable relationships and dangerous situations. Definitely some 'don't go into the basement' moments.

The idea of a transcriber getting personally involved with a case was such a great premise. Fellow mystery lovers - can you imagine transcribing the details of a crime and following the investigation - let alone inserting yourself in it? 

The supporting players are also unpredictable and dangerous, each with their own secrets and agendas, keeping their own secrets. The city itself is a character as well, especially that bridge. Morrissey's description are visceral.

Hello, Transcriber was an atmospheric, gritty, addictive read for me. Kudos to Morrissey for a great debut - I'll be watching for her next book. See for yourself - read an excerpt. 

Finlay Donovan is Killing It - Elle Cosimano

Oh my gosh - the first chapter of Elle Cosiman's newest book, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, had me laughing out loud. And I kept laughing as the book progressed. Which is a little odd as its also a murder mystery!

Finlay's husband has left her, she's struggling to make ends meet as an author, her husband fired the childminder and her agent is demanding the book that Finlay's already been paid for. Here's the fun bit...while having lunch with said agent, their discussion about the plot is overheard - and misconstrued. Somehow, Finlay seems to have been mistakenly taken on a contract - to kill a 'problem husband.'

Trust me, it is funny. And much of that's down to the wonderful lead character Cosimano has created. Finlay is just so quirky and likeable! Her struggles are real and she's a hot mess a lot of the time. Totally relatable. Except for the contract killer part! A sidekick is a must. And in this case we have Vero, Finlay's childminder. She's clever and has a sardonic sense of humor. They make a great team.

Cosimano's plot is clever. There's no down time in this book - action and bodies propel things along at a fast paced clip, Yes, some situations are improbable, but just go with it. What a wonderful, escapist read this one was! Oops, there's a side of romance included too.

I did chose to listen to Finlay Donovan is Killing It. The reader was Angela Dawe - and she was the perfect choice. She has a very expressive voice and absolutely matched the mental image I had in mind for Finlay. She interprets Cosimano's work and brings it to life with reading, capturing the humor, action  and more easily. She provides easily discerned voices for each character, both male and female - and child. Her speaking is clear and easy to understand. Her speaking speed is perfect. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

And I'm happy to say, there's another Finlay Donovan in the works - Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is due out in February 2022. Definitely on my must listen list! 

The Northern Reach - W.S. Winslow

W.S. Winslow's debut novel, The Northern Reach, releases today. What a beautiful cover - I'd love to be there. And the story inside? Just as captivating...

From Flatiron Books:

A heart-wrenching first novel about the power of place and family ties, the weight of the stories we choose to tell, and the burden of those we hide

Frozen in grief after the loss of her son at sea, Edith Baines stares across the water at a schooner, under full sail yet motionless in the winter wind and surging tide of the Northern Reach. Edith seems to be hallucinating. Or is she? Edith’s boat-watch opens The Northern Reach, set in the coastal town of Wellbridge, Maine, where townspeople squeeze a living from the perilous bay or scrape by on the largesse of the summer folk and whatever they can cobble together, salvage, or grab.

At the center of town life is the Baines family, land-rich, cash-poor descendants of town founders, along with the ne’er-do-well Moody clan, the Martins of Skunk Pond, and the dirt farming, bootlegging Edgecombs. Over the course of the twentieth century, the families intersect, interact, and intermarry, grappling with secrets and prejudices that span generations, opening new wounds and reckoning with old ghosts.

W. S. Winslow's The Northern Reach is a breathtaking debut about the complexity of family, the cultural legacy of place, and the people and experiences that shape us." Read an excerpt of The Northern Reach.

“Is there anything better than getting to walk through a small and unfamiliar town and peer through the windows into the lives lived in the houses there? The Northern Reach gives you that rich and satisfying treat. Here is a Maine as various and stark as the pull of tides in every human heart.” – Sarah Blake, author of The Guest Book

Cr: Jeff Roberts

"W.S. Winslow was born and raised in Maine, but spent most of her working life in San Francisco and New York in corporate communications and marketing. A ninth-generation Mainer, she now spends most of the year in a small town Downeast. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French from the University of Maine, and an MFA from NYU. Her fiction has been published in Yemassee Journal and Bird's Thumb. The Northern Reach is her first novel." You can connect with W.S. Winslow on her website and follow her on Twitter.