Historical Fiction

Book Review: Coronation Year

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It’s January of 1953 and in six months, Queen Elizabeth II will be crowned monarch. All hope to be witnesses. The 400-year-old Blue Lion Hotel is lucky to be on the route Her Majesty will be taking that day – especially since the hotel, left to Edie Howard by her parents who died in WWII, has been struggling financially for years. Edie’s greatest wish is that the celebration will help the hotel regain solvency.

As the months pass, the hotel begins to fill. New guests include James Geddes, a Scottish artist with Indian heritage hired to create a painting of the procession, and Stella Donati, a Holocaust survivor and photographer from Rome. The two, who face mistreatment as foreigners, quickly bond with the kind and generous Edie. And, when it becomes clear that someone is out to sabotage the success of the Blue Lion, Edie will be happy she has such good friends by her side.

Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson is an absorbing read –uplifting, well-researched historical fiction that mixes suspenseful drama with a bit of a mystery and romance. Post-war London comes to life, as realistic and likeable characters who lost everything during the war, learn to live and love again. Coronation Year is the perfect novel for those who couldn’t stop watching this weekend’s coronation of Charles III, or for anyone looking for a lovely story.

-Carol

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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In this week’s special picks there are new exciting detective, mystery, suspense, and many more genres for you to choose from! Enjoy!

The 23rd Midnight

When an obsessed maniac turns serial killer Evan Burke’s true-crime story into a playbook, adding some of his own gruesome touches, Detective Lindsay Boxer, who put Burke in jail, tracks this elusive suspect, who is determined to put an end to the Murder Club permanently.

The Wedding Planner

Signing up for several lavish affairs, in addition to her mother’s next marriage and her twin sister’s modest ceremony, wildly successful wedding planner Faith Ferguson grapples with private quarrels, unplanned pregnancies, family scandals, dark secrets and almost cancelled ceremonies, proving that there is more than one path to happily ever after.

The Bride Wore White

When she is kidnapped, drugged and wakes up in a bloodstained wedding dress next to a dead man, psychic Prudence Ryland, framed for murder, knows who the real killer is and finds an unexpected ally in Jack Wingate, a crime boss’s associate, who is the only one who believes her.

All the Days of Summer

A divorced empty-nester moves into a cottage on Nantucket and is irritated when her adult son arrives with his serious girlfriend and the two women must learn to overcome their differences to achieve the future they want.

The Half Moon

Longtime bartender Malcolm Gephardt realizes his dream of owning a bar, while his wife Jess, a lawyer struggling with fertility issues, wonders how to reshape her life, in a novel told over the course of one tumultuous week, laying bare the complexities of marriage, family, longing and desire.

Meet Me at the Lake

In desperate need of a lifeline, 32-year-old Fern Brookbanks finds it in the form of Will Baxter, who rescued her nine years ago, and, believing he is hiding something, but knowing he’s the only one who understands what she’s going through, wonders if she can do the same for him.

The Ferryman

A ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process and, when necessary, enforcing it Proctor Bennet, of the Department of Social Contracts, receives a disturbing and cryptic message from his father, while The Support Staff, who keep Prospera running, organize a revolution that causes Proctor to question everything he once believed.

~Semanur

New Historical Fiction

Emma1 Comment

The Thread Collectors

Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman

In 1863, Stella, a black woman living in New Orleans, must say goodbye to William as he leaves to join the Union army. William is an enslaved flutist which saves him from the battlefield most of the time. Stella and William want to marry but cannot since Stella is owned by a white landowner who takes advantage of her on a regular basis. She soon becomes pregnant. Stella has a remarkable talent for using thread over and over again. Nothing is ever wasted. She is able to cleverly reuse thread to create maps that help slaves escape.

In New York City, Lily, a Jewish woman, suffragette, and abolitionist must say goodbye to her husband Jacob, a trombonist, composer, and Union army musician. Lily contributes to the abolitionist movement in New York.

William and Jacob develop a friendship because of their music while serving in the army. They are invited to entertain those in authority. Happily their friendship continues long after the Civil War.

This is an interesting story demonstrating the often degrading treatment of Black and Jewish soldiers during the Civil War.

~Emma

Spring into Historical Fiction

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In 1907, Sylvie Pelletier’s French-Canadian family relocates from Vermont to Moonstone Colorado for her father’s job as a quarry man for The Padgett Fuel and Stone Company. When the impressionable Sylvie is asked to work that summer in the manor house for the Padgett family, she is awe-struck by her surroundings and is drawn to her employer, the charming “Countess” Inge, and to Inge’s stepson Jasper, the heir to the family fortune. By the end of the season, however, Sylvie sees through the Padgett’s lofty ideas for the town’s future, and understands the feelings of discontent among the workers and their families who make up the town of Moonstone.

Sylvie learns even more when she becomes an apprentice to Miss. Katrina Redmond, the bold local editor of the local newspaper who is not afraid to publish unbecoming stories involving the company. When tragedy strikes, Sylvie is no longer content to sit on the sidelines and involves herself in attempting to unionize the stone workers, alongside the likes of Mary Harris “Mother” Jones.

Based on true stories from Colorado history, Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning is epic historical fiction to savor, with a memorable leading character who must come of age before her time. For fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds, this tale of the American West is beautifully and at times heartbreakingly told and it expertly captures the difficulties of the era and the disparities between the working poor and the robber barons they toiled for.

-Carol

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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There are tons of new releases that come to our shelves every week. Here are some books we picked out for you!

Things I Wish I Told My Mother

When Laurie, a nomadic artist, surprises her mother, an elegant perfectionist, with a dream vacation to Paris, which brings an unexpected sparkle to her eyes, mother and daughter unpack a lifetime of secrets and hopes in the City of Light.

Dark Angel

Letty Davenport and her reluctant partner from the NSA infiltrate a hacker group called Ordinary People and discover someone within their circle has betrayed them and put them in danger, in the second novel of the series following The Investigator.

My Heart Will Find You

While caring for an elderly man during the pandemic, Etta Wilmont, every time she falls asleep, passes through the past and the present, discovering she has the power to make the lives of others better – and the chance to find a love to last a lifetime.

The Only Survivors

When a group of classmates reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a terrible accident, one of the survivors disappears, casting fear and suspicion on the remaining individuals, and on the original tragedy itself.

The Trackers

Commissioned to create a mural representing Dawes, Wyoming, for their new Post Office, Val Welch, a painter in Depression-era America, stays with a wealthy art lover, his wife and a mysterious elder cowboy where he turns up secrets that could spark formidable changes for all of them.

The Fourth Enemy

While trying to prove Malcolm Vayne, a beloved philanthropist, is guilty of fraud, prosecutor Daniel Pitt must rescue his wife, a forensic scientist who has been kidnapped by one of Vayne’s crazed supporters, putting their lives and the case in danger.

The Seaside Library

Returning to touristy beach town where they grew up together, Ivy and Ariana, when a woman goes missing, find the circumstances similar to a crime from their childhood, placing them in a terrible situation since the person that may be responsible is the same one they lied for years ago.

Standing in the Shadows

In 1980, Nick Hartley, the prime suspect in the murder of his ex-girlfriend, sets out to find the truth, leading him down a dangerous path, while in 2019, Detective Superintendent Alan Banks and his team are called in to investigate skeletal remains and must hunt down a killer.

~Semanur

What We’re Reading Now

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Maame by Jessica George

Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. Linnea 

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins 

 A strange, twisting novel that resists being pigeonholed into one genre. At its simplest, this is the tale of a girl and her adopted siblings trying to find their missing father. A little bit of horror, fantasy, and science fiction are mixed with metaphysical, philosophical ponderings for a truly excellent, one-of-a-kind reading experience. Shannon 

Looking for the Hidden Folk by Nancy Brown

Part memoir, part travelog, part call for conservation, part investigation into the study of belief on a material, spiritual, and conceptual level, Looking for the Hidden Folk is a book that defies sitting in a single genre. Author Nancy Marie Brown share her decades long love of Iceland by giving a historical and literal background along with her own travels and multiple visits. All of this is centered around the belief in elves. Brown takes multiple approaches to this topic but doesn’t offer a solid answer to emerge. This becomes a strength for the book, allowing readers to make their own decision or to maintain a solid position of ambiguity. A great read for someone who has visited/will visit Iceland. Greg 

 


Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey 

Vera Crowder always loved the house her father built. But the Crowder house was created to hide the secret life of a serial killer. Vera just happened to call him Dad. When her estranged mother Daphne calls to tell her she’s dying, Vera ends up back at the house where it all began. Now a twisted tourist attraction, the house has two occupants: Daphne and Duvall, an artist capitalizing on the family’s dark history. As Daphne packs up the place she once called home, she revisits the haunting moments shared inside the walls. This twisty horror novel gives new meaning to the phrase “home is where the heart is.” Melinda 

 


The Golden Spoon by Jessica Maxwell 

It’s the 10th season of Bake Week and six new amateur bakers have been selected to compete for The Golden Spoon. As before, they’ll gather under a big white tent in the mountains of Vermont on the grounds of Grafton Manor, family estate of legendary baker and host of the competition, Betsy Martin. Surprised by the addition of a co-host, supposedly to bring in younger viewers, Betsy is unhappy with how the season is going long before murder is committed. Quirky characters, fun pop culture references, and a few surprising plot twists, keep the pages turning. Readers who enjoy The Great British Bake Off and classic closed room mysteries should pick this one up asap! Stacey 

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

I loved Sarah Penner’s book The Lost Apothecary so I am eager to crack open her latest The London Séance Society. It opens in 1873, where the unlikely pair of Vaudeline D’Allaire, a renowned spiritualist, and Lenna Wickes, a woman investigating her sister’s death, team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve a high-profile murder. It’s sure to be a spooky and suspenseful read. Carol 

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The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels: In 1986, Brian, a gay man who has spent the last six years in NYC, comes home to Ohio. The story is about reconciliation, grief, acceptance, and home. 

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A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark: In 1912, Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, along with her girlfriend, Siti, must solve the murders of a secret brotherhood. The suspected murderer is Al-Jahiz, who opened the veil between the mystical and earthly realms 50 years ago and is now vowing to destroy the world because of it’s social oppressions. 

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy: Saint Sebastian’s School is targeted by a serial arson and it’s up to Sister Holiday, of the Sisters of the Sublime Blood, to solve the case. This punk rocker nun must do all of this while confronting her checkered past and not get caught smoking…. Christine 

Exalted by Anna Dorn

Emily, a jaded Instagram astrologer, becomes obsessed with a client after reading his “perfect” birth chart.  She pursues him romantically, with terrible consequences. In a parallel narrative, Dawn’s decades of unhinged dating behavior turn into a reputation that increasingly precedes her.  Nobody is who they want you to think they are in this dark satire about image, excuses, and taking all the bad advice we can get.  Annelise 

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

A psychological thriller about a desperate mother, Isabelle Drake, who’s son Mason has been missing for a year, taken from his crib while he was sleeping, and the case has never been solved. She hasn’t slept for more than minutes at a time since her son went missing, and she is beginning to lose her grip on reality and to wonder what really happened that night. Her marriage has fallen apart and a true-crime podcaster has come to town offering to interview her and help bring publicity to the case. However, Isabelle has secrets in her past that may not stand up to the scrutiny of a podcast. Isabelle is desperate to know what happened to Mason, but will her deepest fears be true? Sara

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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There are many exciting new book releases coming and you don’t want to miss it…

ON THE LINE by Fern Michaels

Undergoing a series of genetic tests to learn the cause of his sudden illness, rising star chef Mateo Castillo discovers his results threatening to uncover a dark secret that will expose his family to dangers in the past, while clouding the investigation into who is trying to hurt him in the present.

HANG THE MOON by Jeannette Walls

After encouraging her younger step-brother to participate in daredevil activities leads to an accident, Sallie Kincaid is cast out of her family, in the new novel from the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Glass Castle.

HER DEADLY GAME by Robert Dugoni

After a failed romance with a coworker, a Seattle prosecutor must return home to her family’s failing law firm to work for her father until she accepts a high profile case in which the prosecutor is her ex.

HISS & TELL by Rita Mae Brown

Harry, Susan and Fair investigate the suspicious deaths of three people found in Crozet with a deadly drug in their systems with the help of their feline sidekicks in the latest addition to the long-running series following Claws for Alarm.

THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS by Alka Joshi

In 1974, Paris perfumer Radha, on the cusp of a breakthrough, travels to India where she enlists the help of her sister and the courtesans of Agra, who use the power of fragrance to seduce, while finally confronting a past secret, which threatens her already vulnerable marriage.

LOYALTY by Lisa Scottoline

Set during the rise of the Mafia in 19th-century Sicily, this epic story of good vs evil follows four individuals a desperate lemon grower; an idealistic lawyer with a secret life; a new mother; and a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jews as their lives collide.

LOVE, HONOR, BETRAY by Mary Monroe

With their sham of a marriage in danger, Jessie and Hubert Wiggins, desperately trying to maintain their devout facade and respectable standing, must decide whether or not to reveal the person who might be behind the serial murders plaguing their town, which would risk their own web of lies being exposed.

~Semanur

New historical fiction

EmmaLeave a comment

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen

Set in 1936, Darcy and Georgiana are expecting their first child when Darcy must travel to Paris. He invites Georgiana along who will be able to spend time in Paris with her best friend, Belinda. Belinda works for Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer. There are significant fashion shows taking place at the time Georgiana is visiting, so Belinda will be busy with work.

Darcy is on some kind of dangerous assignment in Paris when he asks Georgiana to intercept microfilm at one of Chanel’s fashion shows. Gerda Goldberg’s scientist husband has developed a poison gas detector the Nazis want. Gerda, a friend of Nazi leader Hermann Goring’s wife, will be in attendance at the show, and so will Georgiana. Gerda will have the microfilm and will give it to Georgiana.

The woman sitting in Gerda Goldberg’s seat at the fashion show was not Gerda. A pushy American woman from Pennsylvania took Gerda’s seat and ended up dead. Cyanide meant for Gerda was accidently given to the American.

This is the 16th entry in the “Royal Spyness Mystery” series. This series is just plain fun!

~Emma

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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Take a look at some of the exciting new releases coming to our shelves in this week…

Paris: The Memoir

In this deeply personal memoir, the ultimate It Girl shares, for the first time, the hidden history that traumatized and defined her and how she rose above a series of heart-wrenching challenges to find healing, lasting love, and a life of meaning and purpose.

I Will Find You

Receiving evidence that his son might still be alive, an innocent father convicted of murdering his own child breaks out of prison to uncover the truth, in the new novel by the best-selling author of The Stranger.

Collateral Damage

After her husband is involved in a suspicious accident, Ali Reynolds must take his place at a ransomware conference in London and finds herself in a race against time as she uncovers mysterious vendettas that endanger the people she loves.

Hello Beautiful

Awarded a college basketball scholarship away from his childhood home silenced by tragedy, a young man befriends a spirited young woman who welcomes him into her loving, loud, chaotic household, in the new novel by the author of Dear Edward.

Good Dog, Bad Cop

Paterson Police Department’s Corey Douglas and his K Team investigate a suspicious crime near the Long Island sound that resulted in two deaths and a cold case, in the fourth novel of the series following Citizen K-9.

All That Is Hidden

Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is shocked when her husband tells her they are moving to Fifth Avenue and that he’s running for sheriff, in the latest addition to the long-running series following Wild Irish Rose.

So Shall You Reap

Assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant, Commissario Guido Brunetti must rely on gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim, and as parts of the puzzle come together, a connection to his own youthful past turns out to be the final piece.

Dust Child

The abandoned son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman during the war dreams of finding his family and a better life in the new novel, from the internationally best-selling author of The Mountains Sing.

Our Best Intentions

Caught in the middle of a criminal investigation after finding her classmate stabbed and bleeding, Angie, an introverted teenager, must navigate conflicting narratives while her father attempts to shield her and protect his hard-earned efforts to assimilate, which overshadows his ability to see right from wrong.

~Semanur