Time again to let you know what I have been reading and share my reviews. I am always on the hunt for something different, not the usual story I’ve read before. This month was pretty good in that regard. I know I have said that I have had enough of murder mysteries, but the ones this month are not the usual cozy mysteries or police procedural types. Amazon links provided in case you’d like to see more of the synopsis. Thank you for using my links when you can.

The Secret of the Lost Pearls by Darcie Wilde – Set in London in the 1820s, Rosalind is a “useful woman” known for discretion, her connections, and her help in difficult situations for a modest fee. She is hired by society lady Bethany to discover the thief of a set of valuable pearls. It is thought that the thief may be a member of the family. Rosalind comes to stay at the house under the guise of guiding a sister through her debut season. But more scandal awaits, and Rosalind along with a police officer must navigate through blackmail, fraud and murder to find the truth. The Regency period in time is enjoyable reading, with so much attention to manners and proper behavior. The book is an easy read, book 1 of a 4-book series called A Useful Woman. I’ll be looking for some of the later books.

The Bookbinder’s Secret by A. D. Bell – Set in England in 1901, a woman bookbinder toils in a bindery during the day and in her father’s failing bookshop on the weekends. When a burned book comes into her possession, she discovered pages of a letter hidden within the binding. This begins an innocent search for the rest of the hidden story but leads to danger and murder. Someone else wants those pages, and will kill to get them. This story is complex and compelling, a real page-turner that fans of multi-layered novels will enjoy. Five Stars!

When the Stars Answer by Harper Ross – It is rare to come across a book that addresses deeper questions of truth, integrity and consequences. Rowan is a journalist, hit by a fragment of a meteor that gives her the ability to hear when someone is lying. As she begins to use this gift, she finds out that the truth is often much more complicated than black and white. When the backlash affects her family then more secrets come to light, she has to reconcile her actions and take responsibility for the fallout. There is much more depth to this story than the usual in books with magical realism. With easy reading prose and a compelling story, the book gets harder to put down as it goes. 4 stars.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard – In Dublin in March of 2020, Oliver and Ciara meet by chance in a market and begin dating. A couple of weeks later, Covid turns into lockdown and they decide to move in together to see where the relationship will go without the interference of family and friends. Then, 56 days after they meet, during lockdown, a decomposing body is found in Oliver’s apartment. The novel is a slow unveiling of the facts and secrets that both Oliver and Ciara are keeping. My only quibble with this very inventive plotline is that the timelines are not consistent jumping around a bit too much. It goes from ‘today’ which is really summer of 2020, to 56 days ago, back to today, then back 32 days ago, then 52 days ago and so on. So it is hard to keep up with where in the timeline the events are happening so the reader has to pay attention to the chapter headings. Still, it was an interesting book, with some bits easily figured out and some that are surprising. 4 stars

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – A lonely witch in Britain, Mika, doesn’t stay long in any one place. She knows that she must hide her magic and keep away from other witches so the power doesn’t draw unwanted attention. She has some fun posting videos pretending to be a witch, thinking no one would take them seriously, until someone does. A message asking for her help is intriguing enough to send her to an isolated mansion with the requisite brooding bachelor and three very young children, all witches with no control over their powers. But of course, she doesn’t know the whole story, and when she finds out why she is really there, she must come to grips with things from her own past to find a way forward. Somewhat predictable, but ultimately very enjoyable, as this novel speaks to the power of found family, and the connections that bring us joy. 4 stars.

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What are you reading?