Jess Armstrong’s newest mystery, “The Secret of the Three Fates,” continues the story of Ruby Vaughn, a transplant from New York to England. Ruby is no young simpering ingenue; she spent several years in the first world war helping wounded soldiers and facing the blood and trauma of battle. Now she calls Exeter home and lives with octogenarian Mr. Owen. She runs his bookstore and lives with him in his home. They have formed their own little family.
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“Cross My Heart” is one of those mysteries that will probably surprise you. The premise of the story is that Rosie, a woman who has been very unlucky in love, gets a heart transplant. She finds out that her new heart is probably the heart from the spouse of a local, very successful novelist whose wife died unexpectedly. Rosie becomes obsessed with the novelist, Morgan Thorne, and feels that he could be “the one.” Rosie works in her parent’s bridal shop, so romance is never far from her thoughts.
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Julia Kelly writes brilliant historical fiction. Her novels capture the essence of a bygone era, and “The Dressmakers of London,” her newest novel, brings wartime London to life through the eyes of two estranged sisters. Isabelle and Sylvia Shelton lost their father at a young age, and their mother was forced to work to ensure the family’s survival. She opened a dress shop and carefully eked out a living.
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Starting “Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love” is like diving headfirst into a warm bubble bath, knowing that heated towels are waiting for you when it’s over. The story is delightful, the characters heartfelt and real, and the ending just perfection. It’s about a nonagenarian, Eddie Winston, who we come to find out has never been kissed. It’s also about Bella, a young woman whose boyfriend, the love of her life, has died.
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Can you imagine the Loch Ness Monster a human-by-day and monster-by-night? And a male one at that? In “Under Loch and Key,” author Lana Ferguson stretches her imagination and our credulity with this delightful romp featuring not just one fantastical creature, but two.
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Beatriz Williams, Lauren WIllig, and Karen White are all accomplished authors on their own. With “The Author’s Guide to Murder,” they combine their individual talents to create a lovely murder mystery featuring three authors who travel to a remote Scottish island in winter to research a book when a murder takes place. A murder in which the three principal suspects are the three authors!
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In “All’s Fair in Love and Treachery,” author Celeste Connally follows up with a sequel to her first Regency era mystery “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord.” There’s a lot to like in this clever novel filled with real historical facts, more than one murder to solve, a seductive romance, and plenty of royalty and intrigue. Lady Petra Forsyth is the daughter of a wealthy earl who allows her to run his estate and live her life on her own terms. Thus Lady Petra, while unmarried, is unencumbered by the usual restrictions placed on young single women.
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Alafair Burke is known for her clever, twisty mysteries, and “The Note” is no exception. She keeps us guessing almost to the end. There are three female protagonists who are also best friends, although while they refer to themselves as best friends, several windows into the past make us wonder just how “bestie” they actually are.
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