The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Sign of Death (A Victorian Book Club Mystery #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: A Victorian Book Club Mystery #2
Publication Date: 4/13/21
Number of Pages: 327

This exciting, witty, exceptionally well-told tale is an excellent addition to the series. The writing is excellent, the plotting is well planned and delivered, and the characters are absolutely delightful. The exchanges between William and Amy are priceless and will keep you chuckling even in the midst of the serious investigation. It is fast-paced enough to keep you quickly turning the pages, yet provides enough detail to make you feel as if you are right there with them.

Viscount William Wethington has no clue about what trouble is about to befall him as he sits and waits for his man of business, James Harding. Harding cancels the appointment and is soon fished out of the River Avon. Our favorite inept policemen from the last book ask William to come to the morgue to identify a body they’ve fished out of the river. It seems one of William’s calling cards was in the man’s pocket. The police tell William that it appears to be an accidental drowning because the man was drunk.

William and Lady Amy begin to investigate because William is sure the death wasn’t an accident because Harding didn’t drink – and William was also pretty sure Harding had been embezzling from him. As more of Harding’s victims are identified and they discover that Harding was doing more than embezzlement, there are more suspects than they know what to do with. Except, Detectives Carson and Marsh are convinced that William is not only a murderer, but that he has also taken over Harding’s nefarious enterprise. The detectives are so very sure William is the culprit, they aren’t even looking at or for anyone else. It is totally up to Lady Amy and William to find the real murderer. Could there be more than one? So many have motives, could they be working together? Oh! You’ll just have to read the story to find out who it was – and why they did it.

There is an absolutely fabulous ending – and epilogue! It is delightful and will have you smiling from ear-to-ear. I definitely recommend this delightfully entertaining, witty, and engrossing book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Last BookShop In London by Madeline Martin

On By TracyIn Historical Fiction, Tracy's Reviews, World War II Era (1939-1945)Leave a comment

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War IIThe Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: April 6, 2021

When Grace Bennett moves to London with her best friend Vivienne “Viv” Bailey in August of 1939, there is no way she can even begin to imagine how much not only her life is about to change – but how much the world is about to change as well!

Grace arrives in London full of hopes and dreams, she and her friend Viv, rent rooms from her late mother’s widowed friend, Mrs. Weatherford, and her grown son Colin. While Grace had high hopes of becoming a shop girl at Harrod’s, she had no written references, she instead gets a job at Primrose Hill Books, a small bookshop owned by Mr. Evans, due to the help of Mrs. Weatherford and even gains the promise of a referral letter after six months. Grace is not pleased, she is not a reader and while she has basic shop knowledge from working for her uncle, she knows nothing about books, which is made clear on her first day. She arrives to work, the shop is a mess, cluttered and unorganized, Mr. Evans clearly doesn’t want an employee, and Grace feels hopeless when a customer asks for help finding a book, but things begin to look up when another customer, a man named George comes to her rescue, and even suggests a book for her to read. She leaves the shop a bit more hopeful, but that changes later that evening when the radio announces the mobilization of the fleet – a sure sign that war is coming.

This book is not my normal genre, but having read this author’s historical romances, I was sure I would find a well-written, well-researched story with a strong heroine and an interesting story – and I was not wrong, but I was not prepared to be sucked into the story and held captive the way I was! While reading this book, I experienced a complete array of emotions – shock, pain, heartbreak, loss, wonder, hope, and love – I felt Grace’s struggles, her fears, her disappointments, her hope, her horror, and her joys – I watched her find an escape in reading and happiness in sharing her newfound love of reading with others. I finished this book with a new respect for not only the men and women who served in the military and sacrificed so much but also for those who fought on the Homefront – who were separated from their children, who made do with meager rations, who supported each other and never gave up hope. I loved this book and am so glad I decided to give it a go, it was wonderful, and can’t recommend it highly enough.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *