It’s been a minute since I’ve written anything, but not because I haven’t been busy. Most recently, I’ve been in the process of migrating the website to a new host. Well, let’s be honest, I asked my husband to do it since I don’t speak computer nearly as well as he does. Anyway, between that, some pressing appointments that are two boring to mention, and a wedding for my daughter, I haven’t had time to update things for a while. So, I’m going to play a little catch up for a few posts in order to tell you about some great books I’ve read recently.
To make things go easier, I think I’ll give you a short sentence or two about the book, and then post a link to the website where you can read the full review. I’ve written lots of reviews for Mystery and Suspense online magazine. i encourage you to take a look around that magazine when you have a chance. There are quite a few people who review for them, so you’re bound to find something that appeals to you.
For this first “I’m Back” blog, I’m going to highlight two books that are technically considered historical mystery fiction. The first of these is A Darker Reality by Anne Perry. This book takes place in the years just before World War II when Hitler is seeking support and FDR is in the White House. Elena, an agent for England’s MI6 is accompanying her parents to America for her maternal grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary. Among the guests are some of the wealthiest people of the age, a few secret service and British agents, and more than a few Nazi sympathizers. It’s an intriguing look at how Naziism was seen before Hitler reached full power, as well as an extremely well plotted mystery. To top that off, the author has a remarkable ability to write so that the reader can “see” the story unfold rather than just read about it. Here’s the link to the review.
The other “period” book I wanted to highlight is Murder at Standing Stone Manner by Eric Brown. It takes place in a small English village, during the 1920’s and the style is quite reminiscent of Agatha Christie. As with Christie, there is more emphasis on figuring out “who done it” and less on the details of the murder itself. Also, as is often the case with these books, there’s a delightful English village with interesting characters all wrapped up in a well-plotted mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Check here for the full review.
I’m going to leave it at these two for now. I’ll be back soon with more. I’ve read some really great books over the past few weeks and I hope you will find something of interest among them. Until then, Happy Reading.
