Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

Once Upon a Wardrobe
by Patti Callahan

ISBN-13: 9780785251729
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Muse
Released: October 19th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.

She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a copy of a brand-new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.

Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.

Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot.


My Review:
Once Upon a Wardrobe is set in 1950 in England. The scenes mostly focused on Megs gathering stories from C.S. Lewis about events in his life that contributed to the story "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." These were then told to her brother, who understood their importance more than Megs, the logic one. There were also scenes of her talking with a literature major about the importance of stories (specifically, fairytales). He felt that Meg's maths and physics may explain the universe, but stories give soul-soothing meaning to the cold, hard facts. Not a whole lot of time was actually spent developing the family relationships or, really, any characters except C.S. Lewis and maybe Megs. It seemed more of a philosophical debate than about these specific people. I didn't really feel attached to the characters (though that's just as well since the brother didn't get a happy ending).

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, this was an interesting way to learn more about how different events in C.S. Lewis' life may have influenced his Narnia stories.


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.

The Pickwick Murders by Heather Redmond

The Pickwick Murders
by Heather Redmond

ISBN-13: 9781496734280
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Released: October 26th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
London, January 1836: Just weeks before the release of his first book, Charles is thrilled by an invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. But his initiation in a basement maze takes a wicked turn when he stumbles upon the corpse of Samuel Pickwick, the club's president. With the victim's blood literally on his hands, Charles is locked away in notorious Newgate Prison.

Now it's up to Kate to keep her framed fiance from the hangman's noose, but she's forced instead to puzzle her way through a fiendish series of baffling riddles sent to her in anonymous poison pen letters. With the help of family and friends, she must keep her wits about her to corner the real killer--before time runs out and Charles Dickens meets a dead end...


My Review:
The Pickwick Murders is a mystery set in 1836 in London. It's the fourth in a series. You don't need to read the previous book to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries. However, minor characters from the previous mysteries do show up in this one.

Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of the time and place. The author tried to stay true to what is known about Charles Dickens' career and lifestyle in his early twenties (minus the being thrown in prison part, which didn't really happen). The main characters were interesting and acted realistically. I cared about what happened to them.

However, there were a couple of tales that were thrown in that had nothing to do with the main story. Kate also had to solve a series of riddles rather than work on solving the main whodunit mystery, which was frustrating for her and soon felt like filler to me. Once Charles friends got down to investigating, they solved the mystery pretty quickly. Though a realistic ending, it wasn't a very satisfying one. The people behind the evil weren't really punished.

There was one use of British bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'll probably keep on reading the series because of the wonderful, accurate historical detail, so I guess I'd recommend this book to fans of historicals.


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.

Hiding His Holiday Witness by Laura Scott

Hiding His Holiday Witness
by Laura Scott

ISBN-13: 9781335554628
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: October 26th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A frantic call from a witness whose Colorado safe house is breached sends US marshal Slade Brooks to Robyn Lowry’s side at Christmastime. But when he reaches her, she doesn’t remember him—or the crime she witnessed. With the trial just days away, someone won’t stop until Robyn’s dead. And while she might recover her memory in time, keeping Robyn alive long enough to testify is Slade’s hardest mission.


My Review:
Hiding His Holiday Witness is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the fourth book in a series but works as a stand alone. The suspense was created by the attacks on Robyn and the uncertainty about if she'll remember witnessing the crime in time for the trial. The first half was pure suspense: attack, run, attack, run. There was little character development since Slade didn't want to tell her anything she couldn't remember, and she had total amnesia. He admired how she dealt with this situation, though, and she was attracted to her hunky protector. It wasn't until the last half that she started remembering things and they finally tried to figure out how their location kept getting leaked to the bad guys. In my opinion, this was more like a template for a romantic suspense that needed some filling out with character development. The action was there, but a few times people did things that didn't make sense to me and the characters didn't really engage me. 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.

Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge

Murder at Mallowan Hall
by Colleen Cambridge

ISBN-13: 9781496732446
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Released: October 26th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Tucked away among Devon's rolling green hills, Mallowan Hall combines the best of English tradition with the modern conveniences of 1930. Housekeeper Phyllida Bright, as efficient as she is personable, manages the large household with an iron fist in her very elegant glove. In one respect, however, Mallowan Hall stands far apart from other picturesque country houses...

The manor is home to archaeologist Max Mallowan and his famous wife, Agatha Christie. Phyllida is both loyal to and protective of the crime writer, who is as much friend as employer. An aficionado of detective fiction, Phyllida has yet to find a gentleman in real life half as fascinating as Mrs. Agatha's Belgian hero, Hercule Poirot. But though accustomed to murder and its methods as frequent topics of conversation, Phyllida is unprepared for the sight of a very real, very dead body on the library floor...


My Review:
Murder at Mallowan Hall is a mystery set in 1930 in England. Much of Phyllida's past is a bit of a mystery, but she had many of the characteristics of Poirot, including a love of order and logic. She noticed many details that the police missed, and she gathered information from the servant's observations. She passed on information to the police as she came across it, and she was eventually able to puzzle out whodunit. I guessed what was going on before Phyllida, though my main suspect was slightly off. Historical details were woven into the story (mostly about Agatha Christie and housekeeping at the time). Phyllida held very modern views about homosexuality and even lectured others from her morally superior position. Though she's a bit arrogant, I enjoyed the main characters and the mystery kept me puzzling out the clues.

There was occasional use of bad language. There were no sex scenes. 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Jane Austen Investigates: The Burglar's Ball by Julia Golding

Jane Austen Investigates: The Burglar's Ball
by Julia Golding

ISBN-13: 9781782643456
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Lion Hudson Ltd.
Released: October 22nd 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Join young budding detective Jane Austen in her second investigation to uncover a devious diamond thief at the glitziest, most scandalous ball of the year! These events will later inspire "Sense and Sensibility."

When the headmistress invites her past favourite pupil to attend their end of term ball, Cassandra brings her younger sister, Jane, along too. Cassandra plunges into the feverish excitement of preparing for the biggest event of the year – the dresses, the dances and the boys expected from the neighbouring school.

Feeling rather excluded, sharp-witted Jane unearths the reason for the fuss – the headteacher wants to impress a rich family returned from India as the school is at risk of going bankrupt. Jane also befriends the dancing master’s assistant, a former slave, called Brandon, who is as quick to notice things as she. At the ball, a diamond necklace is stolen from a locked room and they are propelled into a race to uncover the burglar and save Brandon from gaol.

With the ever-present Austen spirit, Jane with notebook in hand, boldly overcomes the obstacles to finding the truth.


My Review:
The Burglar's Ball is a delightful mystery set in 1789 in England with a 13-year-old Jane Austen as the amateur detective. I would've loved her as a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story as an adult, too. Jane used modern wording and was a realistic 13-year-old girl, so younger readers will feel at home with her. She's spunky, determined, loyal, and has a sense of humor. This book is the second in a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone and didn't spoil the previous mystery.

The mystery was clue-based, and whodunit was guessable from the clues. Jane made good friends that helped her to accomplish her goal of proving who was at fault rather than the foreign, young man who was blamed. She had good ideas about where to look, what questions to ask, and what was going on. The historical details about manners and customs were deftly woven into the story, were briefly explained when needed, and didn't slow down the pacing. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable historical 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.

A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries by Martin Edwards

A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries
by Martin Edwards

ISBN-13: 9781464214813
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Released: October 12th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
A Postman murdered while delivering cards on Christmas morning. A Christmas pine growing over a forgotten homicide. A Yuletide heist gone horribly wrong. When there's as much murder as magic in the air and the facts seem to point to the impossible, it's up to the detective's trained eye to unwrap the clues and neatly tie together an explanation (preferably with a bow on top).

Martin Edwards has once again gathered the best of these seasonal stories into a stellar anthology brimming with rare tales, fresh as fallen snow, and classics from the likes of Julian Symons, Margery Allingham, Anthony Gilbert and Cyril Hare. A most welcome surprise indeed, and perfect to be shared between super-sleuths by the fire on a cold winter's night.


My Review:
A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries is a collection of Christmas-themed, short story mysteries that were first published between 1933 and 1963. Many of the stories were clued-based puzzles where the detective gathered clues and gave the solution. A few were from the murderer's viewpoint, so we're told how they did it and see how they're discovered. And, of course, there were some stories where we're told the action as it happened but they weren't puzzles for the reader to solve. I've read a couple of these mysteries before, but I enjoyed all of them. There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting collection of short story mysteries.

The stories include:
The Black Bag Left on a Doorstep by Caharie Louisa Pirkis
The Hole in the Wall by G. K. Chesterton
Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson
Dead Man's Hand by E. R. Punshon
The Christmas Eve Ghost By Ernest Dudley
Dick Whittington's Cat By Victor Canning
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham
Give Me a Ring by Anthony Gilbert
Father Christmas Comes to Orbins by Julian Symons
The Turn-Again Bell by Barry Perowne


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.

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber

Dear Santa
by Debbie Macomber

ISBN-13: 9781984818812
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Released: October 19th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lindy Carmichael isn't feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was the one has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels unappreciated in her graphic design job. Lindy's mother, Ellen, suggests an old tradition that might lift her daughter's spirits. Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she'd wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen's encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa. Little does Lindy know that her wishes will unfold before her in unexpected ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic, Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.


My Review:
Dear Santa is a holiday romance. Lindy asks Santa to bring her a new best friend, a perfect boyfriend, and success at work. Santa (who was an actual character) tells her that she'll get her wishes. Much of the story was watching a romance unfold alongside Christmas fun with family and friends. The only problem was that Lindy discovered that she couldn't have all three wishes at once and must choose what she wanted most.

The characters were sweet and kind. Except for The Choice at the end, there wasn't really any set-backs or points of conflict to create suspense. Just a fun read about a "perfect" Christmas. My main problem was that Santa had God-like abilities. I kept expecting God to be thanked for the blessings, but Santa got the credit and even appeared in person to help Lindy make the right choices. I know the title says it's a Santa story, but the book description said the letter was to herself and an "exercise in gratitude." It's not. It's a wish list written to Santa. Anyway, 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.