Lisa Kleypas is one of the queens of romance, so it’s exciting to read her first historical fiction novel, “Queen of Lombard Street,” which, not surprisingly has more than a touch of romance in its pages. What Kleypas has accomplished with her new novel is to present readers with a group of characters who represent real historical figures, all of whom changed — or helped to change — the pervasive prejudice of that time period. Unfortunately, more change is needed.
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Welcome back to Three Pines, that charming, peaceful (minus the occasional murder) village nestled in the mountains of Québec. Louise Penny’s prior two novels, “The Grey Wolf” and “The Black Wolf,” took us into a far-reaching conspiracy that spoke of world politics and evil intentions. While our beloved Armand Gamache was still intrepid is his determination to protect people from dastardly plots and despicable deeds, we didn’t get to spend much time in the lovely, fantastical village of Three Pines. But even though this novel returns us to that idyllic locale, there is still so much going on, so many threads to the plot, that trying to do justice to them all is a Sisyphean task.
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“I Never Knew You At All” is a poignant novel that includes complex themes including interracial marriage, the disappearance of a young Black teen in the 60s, missed possibilities, and justice denied. The main character, Simone, marries Alex Hartwell, the heir to the Hartwell grocery story chain, after being jilted by Kwame Walker, the man she thought she would spend her life with.
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“Bark Humbug,” author David Rosenfelt’s “Andy Carpenter Mystery” number 34, is every bit as entertaining, suspenseful, and funny as each of the preceding titles in the series. In other words, readers are virtually guaranteed a terrifically good time. But there’s more good news: in my carefully considered opinion, “Bark Humbug” offers us even more beautiful features than the earlier entries — funnier funny stuff, more suspenseful suspense, and some effective new techniques that add to our enjoyment of every page.
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Bonnie Garmus has graced us with another stunning novel. Her first novel, “Lessons in Chemistry,” is a bestselling favorite, beloved by book clubs and readers everywhere. Her sophomore novel, “Peck & Peck,” is a very different sort of story, but Garmus’ brilliant writing shines through as we read about Batter Gray, a young man whose only ambition in life is to read, discuss, and critique poetry.
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I had the most enjoyable time reading this book. I’m usually not a horror fan, but Lauren Willig’s “What Happens at Nightfall” is a perfectly delicious combination of horror, humor, and romance and I couldn’t put it down. Of course, I was a fan of her “Pink Carnation” series over 20 years ago, so I love this return to clever repartee, ridiculous situations, and imperfect characters who fit together perfectly. (I am not saying that her historical fiction doesn’t contain clever repartee! But there are definitely no demons or ghostly apparitions.)
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Picture books — quality picture books — send strong messages to children. Maybe even to the adults reading the books to children. Don’t get me wrong, picture books that are written purely for humor have their place, and kids adore them, but a picture book with a message can be essential when presenting ideas like kindness and compassion to young children and older children. These three recently published picture books are very different from each other, but all share that basic quality: they demonstrate kindness and compassion.
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Charlie N. Holmberg continues her fantastical and compelling fantasy series that began with an enchanted house (think haunted house) and turned into a lovely series filled with magic, an admirable woman, an author, an alternate 19th Century world, some romance, and plenty of evil. Now, in her newest addition to the Whimbrel House series, “Lady of Uncanny Charms,” we travel across the pond to where Owein, originally the soul occupying the haunted house, is due to be married.
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Noelle Marshall, of the eponymous series, is a main character readers come to admire. In this series, Kendra Elliot features a main character who was a minor character in her “Colombia River” series. But if, like me, you didn’t read that prior series, don’t worry. You’ll be drawn into this new set of characters and events right away. Noelle Marshall is a fascinating complex main character, but there’s an equal amount of focus on Max, the FBI agent who met her while investigating her in the first book in the series.
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Readers of murder mysteries expect twists and surprises, but “It’s Not What You Think” really surpasses the ordinary with its clever, clever premise. Which I can’t share here because it’s a spoiler. Sorry. But nonetheless, please be assured that Clare Mackintosh has written a mystery that is as thrilling as any you might read.
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Author Linwood Barclay’s “Not a Word” is a mystery/murder/suspense novel featuring a most unusual plot structure, relatively little blood and gore, and a small but fascinating family of main characters who are all flawed products of a psychologically disturbed past. The narrative structure of the novel cleverly wraps our minds inside a developing story of mental illness, obsession, deadly secrets, love, and hatred.
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At the heart of “The Three Graces of Pearl Street” is the concept of family, as Elizabeth Wellington Rollins introduces us to the three titular Graces, the matriarch Graziella, her daughter Grace, and her granddaughter Ella, all three being Graziellas with different nicknames to differentiate them from each other. Graziella is ninety-six when the novel begins, so it’s clear she is at the end of her rather prodigious life.
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