The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson

The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson ISBN-13: 9781464210853 Paperback Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Dec. 4, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
An American financier is found shot in the House of Commons. Suspecting foul play, Robert West, a parliamentary private secretary, takes on the role of amateur sleuth. Used to turning a blind eye to covert dealings, West must now uncover the secrets behind the man's demise, amid distractions from the press and the dead man's enigmatic daughter.

Originally published in 1932, this was the only mystery novel to be written by Ellen Wilkinson, one of the first women to be elected to Parliament. Wilkinson offers a unique insider's perspective of political scandal, replete with sharp satire.


My Review:
The Division Bell Mystery is a mystery set in England and originally published in 1932. It's mainly set in the House of Commons, and it's written by "one of the first women to be elected to Parliament." It provides an inside look at the building, the people in it, and the time period. This aspect in itself kept my interest.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle mystery. I wasn't surprised by whodunit as it wasn't difficult to guess. But the main character--a parliamentary private secretary--is besotted by a woman who should be a suspect (so he isn't thinking logically) and is more concerned with calming the political crisis. He's simply supposed to be helping the police and others who are working to solve the crime. However, he did poke around some on his own, too. The group of people investigating the crime do combine clues to solve whodunit and finally solve the "locked room" aspect.

There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Holiday Amnesia by Lynette Eason

Holiday Amnesia by Lynette Eason ISBN-13: 9781335490773 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense Released: Dec. 4, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Robin Hardy survived an explosion in her university lab—but her memories are gone. With danger lurking behind every Christmas tree, she needs shelter from the attackers she can’t identify. She’ll trust fellow professor Toby Potter to safely hide her away. But he's afraid that she'll reject his help when she remembers his secret assignment. The truth could mean the difference between life and death this holiday season.


My Review:
Holiday Amnesia is a romantic suspense novel. Though a part of a series, it worked as a standalone. The hero and heroine knew each other before the story began and basically were already in love. Then the heroine witnesses a crime and gets a blow to the head when her lab is blown up. She can't remember that she really liked him or that she was angry at him. He's afraid she'll reject his protection if she remembers their argument. He wants her forgiveness, and having people repeatedly try to kill you helps put things in perspective.

The suspense came from the constant physical danger to the heroine and those protecting her while she struggled to remember who attacked her and also from her uncertainty about whom she should trust. The characters were likable and acted realistically. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse

Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse ISBN-13: 9780764232220 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: Nov. 6, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.

As she discovers her family's dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family's legacy--a legacy that supports her people--or seeking the true reason behind her family's gift.

Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.


My Review:
Mark of the Raven is a fantasy novel that's rather depressing until nearly the end. At the beginning, Selene gains the gift of dreamwalking only to learn that her mother expects her to kill and terrorize people using her gift in order to earn money and increase their House's power. She's kindhearted, so it's destroying her to follow her mother's instructions. Much of the story is her using her gift to hurt people.

She's willing to do this so that her sisters won't have to. It's nice that she isn't selfish, but the destruction of her soul through obedience was not fun to read. And it's a meaningless gesture anyway. One sister is eager to learn dreamwalking and would love to show how much better she is at it than Selene. Plus her mother probably intends for all her daughters to help her make money and gain power; she never said otherwise. Also, Selene kept consoling herself that she would learn a better way to use her gift, but she made no effort to explore other ways of using it (while actually dreamwalking) even when her father hinted at what it used to be used for.

There were also several holes and conflicting things in the story. Selene wants to learn how the other House gifts are used, but even her father (who comes from the House of wisdom and learning) doesn't know this information. On the other hand, the hero only has to ask that pretty girl from the other House to learn more about their gifts. One House leader only had to anger another House leader in order to see his gift in action (and in public). So it doesn't seem like it should be that difficult to find out about the other gifts. Also, no reason is given for why no one seems to have a written history of what happened in the last conflict with the Empire or about the giving of the Gifts (even just a legendary version).

While the ending left me interested in what happens to Selene in the future, I'm not sure that I trust the author to not create another depressing read even though the story seems to be Selene's journey toward the Light. There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Dancing with the Sun by Kay Bratt

Dancing with the Sun by Kay Bratt ISBN-13: 9781503904811 Paperback: 236 pages Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Released: Nov. 27, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Sadie Harlan visits her daughter, Lauren, at her summer internship in Yosemite National Park, it seems like the perfect way to forget about her empty nest and failing marriage back home. But when the two women get lost on what’s meant to be a short hike, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives.

As they search for food, water, and civilization, they battle injury, exhaustion, and natural predators. Sadie, however, is assaulted by more than just the unforgiving elements. She lost her first child years earlier in a tragic accident, and in her sorrow, she’s pushed everyone away—including her husband. Now, Sadie must face her past through a journey of love, loss, and learning to forgive herself if she and Lauren are to stand a chance at getting out of Yosemite alive. Will a mother’s courage be enough to save them both?


My Review:
Dancing with the Sun is a general fiction novel. Half of the story consisted of flashbacks of Sadie's past. Her son died in an accident while camping with his father, and she has mistrusted nature ever since. Her marriage is strained because she withdrew emotionally in her grief. She longs to connect with her adopted daughter, Lauren, and so reluctantly allows Lauren to take her on a relatively short trail in Yosemite. Since it was supposed to be a short walk, they did not come prepared for the possibility of getting hopelessly lost and encountering wildlife.

The characters came across as complex, real people. They reacted realistically to the situations, relationships, and loss. I cared about what happened to the characters. Though the characters were in a difficult situation, I did not feel depressed or scared by what they were going through, though I felt a lot of sympathy for them. And healing comes through the journey. The title refers to turning to face the light, both literally using the sun as a compass and figuratively as she heals from her dark grief. There were only a few uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this emotionally genuine novel of surviving the wilderness and grief.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Manuscript for Murder by Jessica Fletcher, Jon Land

Murder, She Wrote: Manuscript for Murder by Jessica Fletcher, Jon Land ISBN-13: 9780451489302 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: Nov. 6, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Jessica Fletcher has never had any reason to worry about her longtime publisher, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be a trusted friend. When another author claims Lane has been stealing from their royalties, Jessica reluctantly investigates. But that author and then Lane turn up dead, apparently from suicide, though Jessica spots indications of murder.

Lane's latest, sure-to-be-a-best-seller acquisition goes completely missing from the system--no traces left behind at all--and anyone who has read the manuscript turns up dead from apparent suicide. Jessica uses the hard copy Lane gave her to find clues that seem to point to shadowy powers controlling the president who are willing to kill to hide their influence.


My Review:
Manuscript for Murder is a cozy thriller. This is the forty-eighth book in the series. You don't have to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this one doesn't spoil the whodunit of previous novels.

This book was written like a thriller, only there was too much filler material slowing the pace. The author also kept repeating things again and again, even if the information had been stated just a paragraph or page ago. Also, we're supposed to believe that the manuscript is an exciting thriller. Jessica even says so. Yet she kept falling asleep every few paragraphs while she's reading it, so she never finished the book. That makes it sound very boring. Basically, the suspense was more stated ("Jessica was afraid" type of thing) than felt by me.

Jessica was so convinced that the important clues were in the manuscript that she overlooked obvious clues in reality--clues which allowed me to easily guess some of the twists at the end. Due to Jessica's focus on finding obscure clues, the story wasn't really a puzzle mystery but a race to uncover the bad guys while avoiding death. The premise is silly, though, because few people would believe that a fictional thriller revealed what was really going on in Washington DC. There was no need to kill a bunch of people and risk bringing attention to a book that otherwise would have been harmless.

There were some funny characters in this book, so it was still an enjoyable read. But the characters weren't really true to the series or even the previous books. There was no sex. There were a few uses of bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White ISBN-13: 9780062747976 ebook: 400 pages Publisher: Harper Voyager Released: Nov. 20, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Aliza and Alastair match wits as they fight to protect the helpless and save their world.

The Battle of North Fields is over—or so Aliza Bentaine, now a Daired, fervently wants to believe. But word comes that an unknown monster is ravaging the isolated Castle Selwyn on the northern border of the kingdom. She and Alastair must travel with their dragon Akarra through the Tekari-infested Old Wilds of Arle to answer Lord Selwyn's call. Shadowing the dragonriders is an ancient evil, a harbinger of a dark danger of which the Worm was only a foretaste.


My Review:
Dragonshadow is a heroic fantasy novel with a bit of mystery. It is the second book in the series. It spoils events from the first book (though not in detail), so I'd recommend reading them in order. You don't have to read the previous book to understand this one.

Aliza is a healer and has no training as a warrior. She fights with her wits, but she's married to a warrior with a dragon. He views her as helpless and doesn't want her in danger, but she wants to be seen as a useful partner. They take a contract to stop an unknown monster that has been killing the creatures--and now a human--near a castle. On the way to the castle, they're attacked by organized groups of humans and monsters. Once at the castle, Aliza asked questions to discover what was going on while her husband patrolled the castle.

I liked that Aliza was able to protect herself using her quick thinking and was vital to solving the mystery. While her husband fought bravely, he had an injury from a previous battle that made him less effective, thus providing more suspense. The characters acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. They battled their doubts as much as the physical monsters.

There was enough world building to make a unique environment with out becoming bogged down in the details. There were no sex scenes. There was only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, exciting fantasy.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

City of Secrets by Victoria Thompson

City of Secrets by Victoria Thompson ISBN-13: 9780451491619 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: Nov. 13, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Con artist Elizabeth Miles has determined that Society is the biggest con of all. So far, Elizabeth’s only real social success has been with Priscilla Knight.

Priscilla is a dedicated suffragist who was recently widowed for the second time in her young life. Her beloved first husband, DeForrest Jenks, died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters and a comfortable fortune. Soon after his death, her pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her. Before she knew it, he had engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Less than nine months later, Endicott is also dead in a somewhat less tragic and even more suspicious accident.

Priscilla confides to Elizabeth that she had understood Endicott was wealthy in his own right, and she had brought a sizeable fortune to the marriage as well. Now her banker is telling her she has hardly any money left and that her house has been mortgaged. Elizabeth discovers some unsavory evidence that seems to point to the possibility that Endicott’s death may have been connected to blackmail. To save her new friend’s future, Elizabeth must use her special set of skills to find the truth.


My Review:
City of Secrets is a historical mystery set in 1918 in New York City. This is the second book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous book to understand this one. This book referred to some events in the previous book, but not enough to spoil the story. Elizabeth is a reformed con artist engaged to marry an honest lawyer who's convinced that following the Law and gaining justice through the legal system are ultimate.

Elizabeth investigated her widowed friend's loss of money to see if it was lost in a con, but she soon realized that Priscilla's husband was blackmailed out of his own fortune and hers. Once certain of who was behind the scheme and the blackmail, Elizabeth realized she couldn't prove it in a court of law. She asked her father to con the blackmailers so she could return the money to Priscilla. Her fiance is appalled (creating a rift between the two) and set out to prove that justice and law must and can prevail.

It was entertaining to follow the investigation and guess just how the con was going to be pulled off. It was a case were the justice system wouldn't ultimately help the hurt party and would even cause more harm by creating a scandal. The blackmailers' own greed and jealousy were used against them. The various efforts even ensured that the blackmailers couldn't harm anyone else in the future. A very satisfying ending. The historical details were woven into the story to create a sense of the specific time and place as well as bring the story alive.

There was one use of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this entertaining historical.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.