#BookReview ‘The Whispering Muse’ by Laura Purcell #historical #mystery

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The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell is a haunted mystery full of suspense, superstition and danger. Set at the Mermaid, a London theatre specialising in tragedies, the story is told by Jenny Wilcox, dresser to lead actress Lilith Erikson. Laura PurcellRecruited by Mrs Dyer, wife of the theatre owner, to be dresser to Lilith, Jenny is grateful for the wage which enables her to support her three siblings at home. Left alone after their elder brother, a scene painter at the Mermaid, ran away with one of the actresses, Jenny cannot believe her luck. Until Mrs Dyer, suspecting her husband of an affair with Lilith, sends Jenny to spy on her rival. The two women vie over one man, and over a mysterious watch that seems to give power to the holder. But the previous owner of the watch, an actor, died on stage.
I raced through this book in two days; there isn’t a pause or a breath without the action progressing. Jenny finds herself involved in plots, unable to say no, beholden to her benefactor, divided by the powerful two women and unsure if she should trust either, agreeing to things she knows are wrong and dangerous, regretting she got involved. Purcell is excellent at creating a dark and menacing atmosphere in the theatre, a place ridden with superstitions that seems to crumble around them, rotting and smelling rank as the lies increase and the betrayals intensify.
This is a dark story I didn’t want to put down until I knew the ending. The theatrical world adds to the gothic setting, the costumes and special effects, the scenery and superstitions, the bitchiness. The self-obsession of the actors contrasts with the down-to-earth backstage staff who, after all, are there for the wage and cannot rock the boat when odd things begin to happen. And happen they do, as the company progresses through the season from Macbeth, The Duchess of Malfi, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, finally to Faust, Part One.
One of my favourite books of 2024.

Here’s my review of THE SILENT COMPANIONS, also by Laura Purcell.

If you like this, try:-
‘The Night Child’ by Anna Quinn
‘Inheritance’ by Nora Roberts #1LostBrideTrilogy
‘The Lamplighters’ by Emma Stonex

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Kate Atkinson

#BookReview ‘Murder at the Fair’ by @BrightVerity #cosymystery #crime

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When one raft fails to finish the race at the May Fair, honorary guest and amateur sleuth Lady Eleanor Swift is the only person to be suspicious. And so starts Murder at the Fair, sixth in the 1920s cosy mystery series by Verity Bright. And as is the way of these things, the murder at the fair is not the only death in Little Buckford. Verity Bright Warned off any further investigations by Detective Chief Inspector Seldon –  who Eleanor sometimes called Inspector, and sometimes Hugh – she believes her suspicions are correct when a spiteful obituary is published in the local newspaper. ‘For Solemn Jon’s death was not an accident, dear reader. It was murder!’ The obituary is signed Willie Green, who just happens to be assistant to ‘Solemn’ John Jon, who was the local undertaker. Green is the argumentative kind of man who exists on the fringe of the village, his brain sloshing with booze, a sharp tongue in his mouth, and so an obvious suspect. Perhaps too obvious?
When a second murder happens, another nasty obituary is published. This death looks like a horse-riding accident until Eleanor sets out to prove otherwise. Her on-off relationship with Seldon continues as they behave awkwardly around each other, not helped by the guilt Ellie feels at going behind his back to investigate the murders. These investigations are fun, supported as she is by loyal butler Clifford who has an astonishing range of suspect skills and tools, including skeleton keys and a pistol, and useful contacts amongst his fellow butlers. Things take a turn for the worse when a third obituary is published, for someone who is still alive.
The series is established now and key characters are familiar, this is the time when the narrative can run out of steam and become formulaic. But Murder at the Fair has a twisty plot with plenty of  unexpected hiccups and u-turns. The deathly events occur at a time of great upheaval at Henley Hall, the annual spring clean, when a newcomer to the hall causes early excitement followed by disaster.
Enjoyable, fun, clever and charming, a great book to sink into when relaxation is required.

Read my review of other books in the Lady Eleanor Swift series:-
A VERY ENGLISH MURDER #1LADYELEANORSWIFT
DEATH AT THE DANCE #2LADYELEANORSWIFT
A WITNESS TO MURDER #3LADYELEANORSWIFT
MURDER IN THE SNOW #4LADYELEANORSWIFT
MYSTERY BY THE SEA #5LADYELEANORSWIFT
A LESSON IN MURDER #7LADYELEANORSWIFT
DEATH ON A WINTER’S DAY #8LADYELEANORSWIFT

If you like this, try:-
‘The Killing of Polly Carter’ by Robert Thorogood #2DeathinParadise
‘The Lost Ancestor’ by Nathan Dylan Goodwin #2MortonFarrier
‘A Mansion for Murder’ by Frances Brody #13KateShackleton

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Laura Purcell

Great Opening Paragraph 70… ‘Dying in the Wool’ #amreading #FirstPara

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“My name is Kate Shackleton. I’m thirty-one years old, and hanging onto freedom by the skin of my teeth. Because I’m a widow my mother wants me back by her side. But I’ve tasted independence. I’m not about to drown in polite society all over again.”
frances brodyFrom ‘Dying in the Wool’ by Frances Brody

Here’s my review of DYING IN THE WOOL, the first in Frances Brody’s series about amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton set in 1920s Yorkshire:-

And read my reviews of these other Kate Shackleton books:-
A DEATH IN THE DALES #7KATESHACKLETON
A SNAPSHOT OF MURDER #10KATESHACKLETON
DEATH AND THE BREWERY QUEEN #12KATESHACKLETON
A MANSION FOR MURDER #13KATESHACKLETON

Try one of these #FirstParas & discover a new author:-
‘The Pelican Brief’ by John Grisham 
‘Divisadero’ by Michael Ondaatje 
‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt 

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#Books #FirstPara DYING IN THE WOOL by @FrancesBrody https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-7S8 via @SandraDanby

Great Opening Paragraph 69… ‘The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman’ #amreading #FirstPara

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“When I was born my insides lay outside my body for twenty-one days. Which is unexpected, but not nearly as unusual as you might think. For every 3,999 babies that come out with everything tucked in neatly and sealed away exactly where it should be, there’s one like me. Nobody really knows why. Luck of the draw, my father used to say.”
Julietta HendersonFrom ‘The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman’ by Julietta Henderson

Click the title to read my review of THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN.

Try one of these #FirstParas & discover a new author:-
‘To Have and Have Not’ by Ernest Hemingway
‘Peter Pan’ by JM Barrie
‘Fortune Favours the Dead’ by Stephen Spottiswood 

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#Books #FirstPara THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN by Julietta Henderson @JuliettaJulia1 https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-7RL via @SandraDanby

#BookReview ‘The Spice Maker’s Secret’ by @RenitaDSilva #historical #India

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The Spice Maker’s Secret by Renita D’Silva is a sad, heartbreaking tale of two young women trapped by circumstance, by events beyond their control, different but in some unknown way connected. D’Silva is a magical writer about India, this time the scent, taste and power of spices is dominant. And she always writes intriguing, determined female characters, often difficult but always inspiring. Renita d'SilvaThere are two alternating timelines, of Bindu in 1930s India and Eve in 1980s London; their circumstances so different that a link between the two seems impossible. But both are trapped. Eve is weighed down by grief, struggling to leave the house, to eat, to return to a life that will never feel normal again. Bindu is weighed down by poverty, her small village suffering as drought hardens and everyone scratches a meagre survival. To protect those she loves, she takes a decision that finds her surrounded by obscene wealth, weighed down by elaborate jewellery. Bindu, the beautiful village girl who won a scholarship to college, who helps her grandmother Ajji cook wonderful curry feasts. Bindu who, according to spiteful gossipy villagers, thinks she is better than everyone else. When things get bad, Bindu remembers Wordsworth’s golden daffodils and she cooks.
Bindu’s narrative dominates and although this is good, I found myself wishing for a little more of Eve’s story before the life-changing event that shaped her world in 1980. After a start that wasn’t slow exactly but had me itching for things to develop, The Spice Maker’s Secret takes off at around 30%.
In Bindu’s India in the Thirties, the country is struggling towards independence as the world faces another global war. There are opportunities for women to be independent and Bindu wants to be one of them but instead finds herself in a traditional household; she is not allowed to mix with men, not able to enter the kitchen, forbidden to cook, daily newspapers are removed. Strong-willed, intelligent and brave, Bindu’s marriage starts to falter as she is unable to connect with her equally strong-willed husband Guru. She is expected to produce an heir, a son; but Bindu knows she is carrying a daughter. When full of despair and anger at her situation, she remembers the calm, soothing advice of her grandmother. Sometimes she listens to Ajji’s words, sometimes she doesn’t. So she makes plans to escape the elaborate mansion just as years ago she skived off school, enduring the nuns’ disapproval, to help her frail grandmother cook the catering commissions which helped them survive. But now Ajji is dead and Bindu must face childbirth alone.
D’Silva builds the tension layer by layer, chapter by chapter, passing through phases of happiness then sadness, a little hope and contentment then more sadness and happiness. It is a very emotional book.

Read my reviews of these other novels by Renita D’Silva:-
A DAUGHTER’S COURAGE
A MOTHER’S SECRET
BENEATH AN INDIAN SKY
THE GIRL IN THE PAINTING
THE ORPHAN’S GIFT
THE WAR CHILD

If you like this, try:-
‘The Wolf Den’ by Elodie Harper #1WolfDen
‘Restless Dolly Maunder’ by Kate Grenville
‘The Blue Afternoon’ by William Boyd

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Verity Bright

Great Opening Paragraph 136… ‘High-Rise’ #amreading #FirstPara

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“Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months. Now that everything had returned to normal, he was surprised that there had been no obvious beginning, no point beyond which their lives had moved into a clearly more sinister dimension. With its forty floors and thousand apartments, its supermarket and swimming-pools, bank and junior school – all in effect abandoned in the sky – the high-rise offered more than enough opportunities for violence and confrontation.” JG BallardFrom ‘High-Rise’ by JG Ballard

And try the first paragraph of SUPER-CANNES, another novel by JG Ballard.

Try one of these 1st paras & discover a new author:-
‘Affinity’ by Sarah Waters 
‘Divisadero’ by Michael Ondaatje 
‘Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’ by Haruki Murakami 

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#Books #FirstPara HIGH-RISE by JG Ballard https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-79L via @SandraDanby

#BookReview ‘Murder at the Playhouse’ by Helena Dixon @NellDixon #cosymystery #crime

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Murder at the Playhouse is another good adventure for Kitty Underhay, hotelier and amateur detective. Third in this nicely developing between-the-wars mystery series by Helena Dixon, Kitty now finds herself drawn into the theatrical world. Helena Dixon Starting weeks after the ending of the previous book, Murder at Enderley Hall, Kitty is still not on speaking turns with her fellow investigator, Captain Matthew Bryant. And she isn’t only missing their cooperation as detectors. But before she can work out how to break the ice after their quarrel, everyday turns into drama when Matt is arrested on suspicion of murder. A young girl taking part in a treasure hunt at a party, is found dead on the golf course. She was strangled with a bootlace, the bootlace given to her and her friend by Matt when they knocked on his door to enquire about clues. Kitty, who soon discovers that the party was hosted by Matt’s next door neighbours, the theatrical Davenport family, volunteers for charity work with the Davenport’s daughter Genny and goes undercover.
Kitty and Matt’s relationship has reached an interesting stage, past their acknowledgement of mutual attraction they must now face up to their differing social expectations. Kitty is determined to prove her credentials as a detective, able to handle difficult and dangerous assignments as well as Matt himself. Soon she is part of the theatre company as it prepares for a charitable production. Burning the candle at both ends, Kitty’s assessment of likely risk becomes a little wobbly as she pushes on in her objective to clear Matt’s name. The cast of theatrical characters includes some colourful, and distasteful, people, so there are plenty of suspects. Assigned as prompter, Kitty fears sitting in the wings will prevent her ability to eavesdrop and discover clues. So she engages the Dolphin Hotel’s housemaid Alice to assist her again. Alice, deft with a needle and thread, proves adept at organising the theatrical costumes and props and rallying the troop of child performers.
Needless to say, Kitty takes one risk too many and, not wanting to worry Matt while also wanting prove herself to him, does not tell him everything that is happening. In the background is the longer-running mystery of Kitty’s lost mother; where did she disappear to during the war?
Kitty is a very likeable heroine while Matt has a complicated history. He is a widow and a war veteran, more of both in this book. The plot moves on nicely and the whodunnit is full of possibilities without being so complex that the clues become entangled in an impenetrable knot. More please.

Here are my reviews of other books in the series:-
MURDER AT THE DOLPHIN HOTEL #1MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT ENDERLEY HALL #2MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR #4MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER IN THE BELLTOWER #5MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT ELM HOUSE #6MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER AT THE WEDDING #7MISSUNDERHAY
MURDER IN FIRST CLASS #8MISSUNDERHAY

And my reviews of the first in a new series by Helena Dixon:-
THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY #1SECRETDETECTIVEAGENCY
THE SEASIDE MURDERS #2SECRETDETECTIVEAGENCY

If you like this, try:-
‘An Expert in Murder’ by Nicola Upson #1JosephineTey
‘The Cornish Wedding Murder’ by Fiona Leitch #1NoseyParker
‘The Anarchist Detective’ by Jason Webster #3MaxCamara

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Renita d'Silva

#BookReview ‘Conspiracy’ by SJ Parris @thestephmerritt #historical #crime

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Paris 1585. In Conspiracy by SJ Parris, Italian philosopher spy Giordano Bruno is finding the French capital more difficult to negotiate than London. ‘God this city!… So many factions, so many plots; everyone an informer with two faces, playing one party off against the others.’ SJ ParrisFifth in this series, Bruno arrives in a Paris riven by religious fear and violence, when the reign of King Henri III is under threat from the Catholic League led by the Duke of Guise. Henri is ruled by his mother, Catherine de Medici, features regularly in scurrilous scandal sheets and seems unable to sire an heir. When a fellow priest is murdered, Bruno is drawn into the Parisian web of secrets, spies and court intrigue. Always balancing on a knife edge, Bruno must use his detecting skills to identify the murderer. He is ordered by two powerful men – neither knows of the other’s contract – to discover the truth of the murder. Bruno trusts neither and, though his knowledge of how the royal court functions is useful, he finds himself drawn deeper into danger.
A second most unexpected murder within the royal court itself threatens to reveal secrets about Henri, his wife Queen Louise, and his mother Catherine de Medici. This court is a world of courtesan spies where courtiers may be working for both sides, where everyone could be considered two-faced, their word untrustworthy. Bruno survives on his wit, bravery, and sheer damn luck. As Bruno is working for two bosses, he must also consider that everyone he meets is a spy, a double or triple agent, or may be lying to protect themselves, for ambition or for money. The plot ties itself in knots, at times the sheer number of suspects is bewildering.
I particularly enjoyed Bruno’s meetings with fellow spy Charles Paget whose wry remark that Bruno doesn’t look over his shoulder often enough would spoil some of the plot twists. The plot of Conspiracy continues some threads and recurring characters from earlier novels. Scandal and rumour combine in the echo chamber of the royal court as Bruno uncovers one conspiracy after another, or has he. Jumping to conclusions too early gets him into some scrapes and brings him into contact with a wide variety of personalities including an acting troupe I Gelosi.
These are long and complicated books and Bruno has enviable diplomatic and survival skills. The Parisian royal court is poisonous, the city is dirty and dangerous, there are sexy men, gorgeous women and gambling clerics.
A really good historical thriller. If you’re new to this series, please start with the first book to appreciate all the plot twists and themes.

Read my reviews of other books in the series:-
HERESY #1 GIORDANOBRUNO
PROPHECY #2 GIORDANOBRUNO
SACRILEGE #3 GIORDANOBRUNO
TREACHERY #4GIORDANOBRUNO

If you like this, try:-
‘The Burning Chambers’ by Kate Mosse #1Joubert
‘The Silver Wolf’ by JC Harvey #1FiskardosWar
‘Winter Pilgrims’ by Toby Clements #1Kingmaker

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Helena Dixon

#BookReview ‘The Girls Left Behind’ by @EmilyGunnis #mystery #suspense

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Emily Gunnis is a new author for me and I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Girls Left Behind. With triple timelines – World War Two, the Seventies/Eighties and the Noughties – it’s a complicated mixture to handle and there are a lot of personalities and twists to hang on to. Emily GunnisIn the Prologue it is 1975. A month ago WPC Jo Hamilton attended the beach where a young girl had fallen from the cliffs and died. Gemma Smith, fifteen, lived at Morgate House, a children’s home in an imposing Victorian building on the cliffs at Saltdean. The ‘Morgate children’ are generally regarded locally as wild. Now Jo is called to a ‘domestic’ at a house in Wicker Street. When violence turns to fire, Jo rescues two young sisters from the blaze. They are the only survivors. She takes Holly and Daisy to Morgate House. The Girls Left Behind is the story of the Morgate girls, vulnerable teenagers open to exploitation and whose tragedies are woven into the life of a young policewoman.
In 2015 and now a superintendent, Jo Hamilton is in her last week at work before retirement. When human remains are found it takes Jo back to a case she worked on as a young policewoman, a case that was emotionally difficult to handle, when she felt her voice was ignored by the top brass. Jo has carried regrets with her all her career. Her week becomes extra intense when her elderly mother is moved from her care home to palliative care. Her relationship with her mother Olive, is prickly; she is close to her older brother and fellow police officer Charlie; with her daughter Megan, things are changeable.
Intertwined with the two slices of Jo’s life, is the story of her mother Olive who during World War Two worked at Bletchley Park as a motorcycle courier trusted with top secret packages. Olive lodges in the village with Lorna, another Bletchley girl who she met on the train journey. Olive’s world is small, just Lorna, her boss Commander Travis, Geoff Price, manager of the bike workshop, and a few of her fellow motorcycle couriers. Then Olive falls in love for the first time.
A slow-mover for me. The two girls, Gemma and Holly, and their similar storylines merged together. The frequent summarising and repetition meant I reluctantly skipped paragraphs. But oh my, at about 70% and in one of Olive’s sections, the story took off and didn’t stop until the end.
A good mystery thriller which would benefit from a reduced character list and from being cut in length with shorter snappier chapters to increase the tension. A sad story with dark complex characters, hidden secrets and lies told to protect important people.

If you like this, try:-
‘Stolen Child’ by Laura Elliot
‘Then She Was Gone’ by Lisa Jewell
‘The Guest List’ by Lucy Foley

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COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- SJ Parris

#BookReview ‘A Rustle of Silk’ by Alys Clare #historical #mystery

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April 1603. The Scottish King James is to sit on the English throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. In Devon, former ship’s surgeon and now rural physician Gabriel Taverner is called to examine a corpse found with a blade in his stomach. I’ve found a new historical mystery series and the first book is A Rustle of Silk by Alys Clare. Alys ClareI started the tale not sure what to expect but found myself racing through the pages, not wanting to put the book down. Clare is a new author for me and as well as this series, there are many other Clare mysteries to explore.
The dead man is Gabe’s brother-in-law, a silk trader. Jeromy Palfrey is an assistant to a local wealthy dealer in silks, Nicolaus Quinlie. Celia’s house is much grander than Gabe’s quiet house, Rosewyke. She dresses in silk, the colourful home furnishings are silk and she spends much time alone in her luxurious house while her husband travels for work. Until he doesn’t return his body is found.
Immediately I was drawn to the complex character of Gabe. A man with a colourful past travelling, and fighting, on the oceans until a head injury forced him to find an occupation on land. Now a qualified doctor, he continues to study current medical tomes which he combines with avant-garde experience picked up on his travels around the globe and medical techniques learned onboard in the heat of battle. Now his feet are firmly on dry land and he is trying to establish a name in his local area. Unfortunately someone objects to his presence; deposited on his doorstep has been a series of ‘little gifts’ – faeces, dead mice, a headless rat, a square of linen soaked in blood, and worse. Not one to be threatened easily, Gabe knows he must stop the person making these threats. But then Plymouth coroner Theophilius Davey knocks on his door.
Is there a connection between the threats to Gabe and the death of his brother-in-law. Was Palfrey involved in money-making schemes to pay his debts and could his employer have found out. Two more deaths follow.
The portrayal of medical treatment at the beginning of the 17th century is fascinating – formally-trained doctors such as Gabe, barber surgeons, midwife Judyth and herbalist Black Carlotta. Both female medics live in danger of being denounced as witches. Clare also shows the social restrictions on women at that time. Once married, all wealth and property transfers to her husband. An unscrupulous husband may spend his, and his wife’s, wealth without recourse to her.
A Rustle of Silk is not a long book, unlike some historical crime novels, and I read it easily in two days. An easy entertaining read though it does include some gruesome medical descriptions. I would describe this as a historical mystery rather than historical crime. Gabe is a doctor in search of the truth but he is also an able amateur investigator. I enjoyed the circle of professionals around him; coroner Theo and his assistant Jarman Hodge, and local preacher Jonathan Carew. I anticipate many hours spent reading the rest of this series.

If you like this, try:-
‘Winter Pilgrims’ by Toby Clements #1Kingmaker
‘The Confessions of Frannie Langton’ by Sara Collins
‘The Drowned City’ by KJ Maitland #1 Daniel Pursglove

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#BookReview A RUSTLE OF SILK by Alys Clare https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-7EN via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:- Emily Gunnis