A Real Crime for Female Fiction Writers.

Book Review for “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict. Summary: "London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by … Continue reading A Real Crime for Female Fiction Writers. →

TCL’s #CCSpin #41 Book Review – Bond Begins!

Book Review for “Casino Royale” (James Bond #1) by Ian Fleming. Summary: "British Secret Service agent James Bond, a.k.a. 007, is sent to play in a high-stakes baccarat game in an effort to take down Le Chiffre, a financier for the villainous SMERSH. Things get more complex when Bond is partnered with Vesper Lynd, a … Continue reading TCL’s #CCSpin #41 Book Review – Bond Begins! →

I Resemble That!

Book Review for “The Portrait” by Antoine Laurain (Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce). Summary: "Pierre-François Chaumont has promised his wife that he won't spend another centime at the auction house. His collecting habit is out of hand and she refuses to let another antique through the door. With his marriage at stake, he … Continue reading I Resemble That! →

Shifting Sands and Tides.

Book Review for “Coastliners” by Joanne Harris. Summary: "Set on a small, blustery fishing island off the coast of France, Coastliners is the story of Mado, a young woman who returns to her childhood home to find the local community torn apart by family feuds, bad tides and murky political machinations. Passionate, stubborn Mado tries … Continue reading Shifting Sands and Tides. →

Writers Anonymous?

Book Review for “The First Line (The French List)” by Jean-Marie Laclavetine, (Teresa Lavender Fagan - translator). Summary: "Cyril Cordouan is the beleaguered editor at Fulmen, a distinguished publishing house known for its solid but not particularly popular literary titles. Every day, Cyril faces an avalanche of subpar manuscripts, struggling to find a glimmer of … Continue reading Writers Anonymous? →

The Third Blue.

Book Review for “The Versailles Formula” (Genevieve Planché #3) by Nancy Bilyeau. Summary: "Genevieve Sturbridge was never meant for a quiet life in the English countryside. Once an artist in the heart of London, now she spends her days in restless solitude, longing for the passion and purpose she once knew. But when a familiar … Continue reading The Third Blue. →

Echoes of Muses.

Book Review for “The Wandering Season” by Aimie K Runyan. Summary: "Veronica Stratton, a specialty food broker with a business on the cusp of brilliant success that would change the trajectory of her life, visits her parents in idyllic Estes Park for Christmas. She's fresh from a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, so she's eager … Continue reading Echoes of Muses. →

Not a Stationary Story.

Book Review for “The Paris Express” by Emma Donoghue. Summary: "Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as … Continue reading Not a Stationary Story. →

Thieves in Flight.

Book Review for “The Winged Tiara” by J'nell Ciesielski. Summary: "November 12, 1918. It was a match made in champagne-soaked heaven, but all too soon the bubbles dried up, and Esme Fox awakens the morning after celebrating the end of the Great War to find herself shockingly and accidentally married. She gathers her belongings and … Continue reading Thieves in Flight. →

Music and… Politics?

Book Review for “French Rhapsody” by Antoine Laurain, translated by Emily Boyce and Jane Aitken. Summary: "Middle-aged doctor Alain Massoulier has received a life-changing letter—thirty-three years too late. Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, the letter from Polydor, dated 1983, offers a recording contract to The Holograms, in which Alain played lead guitar. … Continue reading Music and… Politics? →