Murder of a Suffragette by Marty Wingate

Murder of a Suffragette
by Marty Wingate

ISBN-13: 9781835252116
Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Bookouture
Released: October 28, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Fellbridge Hall, England: Mabel Canning is thrilled to be organising a suffragette conference. But when all the women are settled in the sprawling country mansion, she barely has time for a sip of gin before chaos ensues. Leading suffragette Annie Harkin has been found murdered in her bed.

Young police officers Ned and Ted arrive in time to trip over the banners. Mabel and her pals to take control. When it comes to solving mysteries, there’s nobody equal to the London Ladies’ Murder Club! But soon it’s clear many a suffragette is hiding a secret under her sash. Eccentric veteran of the cause Dorothea Goose is acting rather flighty. Or would Annie’s rival go this far to replace her as leader? Mabel is sure the answers lie in the past.


My Review:
Murder of a Suffragette is a mystery set in 1922 England. It's the 4th book in the series. You can understand the story without reading the previous books (and I haven't), but it's like all the character development happened already and the author didn't bother in this story. It's like paper dolls delivered the needed lines. The dog had the most personality of the bunch, and she was also the true detective. The dog found bodies, missing people, clues, and even saved Mabel in the nick of time.

While there were clues, this wasn't a puzzle mystery which the reader could have fun solving. Mabel did basic interviews, and she and the dog's owner brought the clues to the detective (who couldn't be on the spot for long so left the leg work to her). However, she solved whodunit by walking into danger and managing to get whodunit to confess before trying to kill her. There was a little bit of suffragette history mentioned, but much more about the food they were eating or what the hats looked like.

There were no sex scenes. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, the story wasn't bad, but it didn't interest me in reading any more of the series.


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.

Courting the Country Preacher by Angela K Couch; Carolyn Miller; Naomi Musch; Kari Trumbo

Courting the Country Preacher
by Angela K Couch;
Carolyn Miller;
Naomi Musch;
Kari Trumbo

ISBN-13: 9781636099767
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Released: November 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Being a preacher in the countryside is not for the faint of heart nor faith. Four inexperienced preachers face a myriad of challenges including those who figure a man of the cloth needs a wife. Can they meet the expectations of “helpful” congregants and be true to their hearts?

The Mountie’s Rival by Angela K. Couch
Canada, 1907 — Tired of living in his twin’s shadow, Jonathan Burton is frustrated to find himself serving as a still wet-behind-the-ears preacher in the same community as his Mountie brother. How is he to find a wife when all the eligible women of the community seem enamored by his dashing brother in scarlet uniform?

Convincing the Circuit Preacher by Carolyn Miller
Australia, 1863 — As soon as Dorothea Maclean saw the country preacher, she knew Mr. Hammill was the man of her dreams. Now she just needs to convince her wealthy parents—and Mr. Hammill.

The Angel and the Sky Pilot by Naomi Musch
Minnesota, 1910 — A preacher with a checkered past sets off to win souls in the lumber camps like the “sky pilots” before him. But can he earn the respect of hard-living men—and still respect himself—after a local trader’s daughter joins the congregation?

Mail Order Minister by Kari Trumbo
South Dakota, 1889 — Olive’s parents mail-ordered a preacher and prayed their daughter would want him as a husband. The rest of the town—and Olive—have other ideas.


My Review:
Courting the Country Preacher is a collection of 4 Christian romance novels set at different times and in different countries. They're general sweet romances, where both preacher and future wife like and admire each other from the start, but something stands in their way that needs to be resolved before they can get together. One gal is the daughter of the town's main drunk and criminal and tries to counter being tarred with the same brush by being a quietly caring, hardworking Christian woman. Another gal is one of the few single women in the area and has several admirers, so the preacher has to figure out how to win the respect of the lumberjacks while handling her unwanted suitor's attempts to run him off.

The main characters were complex and likable, though some of the characters in Trumbo's story didn't quite come across as realistic. The romantic pair supported and built each other up. Three of the historical settings were based on real places or situations, giving a nice feel for the place and time. Each story had a Christian message about dealing with others. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this romance collection.


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 St Ives Christmas Mystery by Deborah Fowler

A St Ives Christmas Mystery
by Deborah Fowler

ISBN-13: 9780749031930
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Released: October 24, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When tragedy brings Merrin McKenzie back to St Ives, she knows adjusting might take time, even with the comfort of Christmas back in her hometown. Stepping back from her career as a solicitor, she agrees to clean holiday rentals for her friends who own cottages nearby. She anticipates dirty laundry and sandy floors, but she didn’t sign up for a dead body, neatly tucked up in one of the guest beds.

The police are baffled by the young man’s identity and the strangeness of his death. For Merrin, however, coincidences are beginning to stack up. Even though Inspector Louis Peppiatt is sceptical of her theories, something sinister is hiding beneath the festive surface of this charming seaside town. As the case unfolds, a dark side to the Cornish coast emerges.


My Review:
A St Ives Christmas Mystery is a cozy mystery set in England. The main characters were likable and interesting. Merrin was a solicitor and married a policeman, so she understood legal issues as well as thought things out (rather than making random guesses). She often came across clues that she passed on to the detective on the case, Louis. They worked well together, but Louis often felt like Merrin was making connections that weren't there...so she sometimes felt like she needed to get further proof. Louis and the police did most of the investigating, and we also follow that investigation.

This was a clue-based mystery that can be puzzled out, though generally Louis and Merrin came to the correct conclusions as fast as the reader could. There was no sex. There was some bad language (with about a third of that being British 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.

The Gentleman's Confession by Anneka R. Walker

The Gentleman's Confession
by Anneka R. Walker

ISBN-13: 9781639933020
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Released: October 22, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Brookeside, England, 1822. Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.


My Review:
The Gentleman's Confession is a romance set in 1822 in England. Some aspects of the story were so absurd that it didn't feel realistic. I know it's supposed to be humorous, but one scene had several women cornering Miles in public, and one of those women repeatedly ran her hands through his hair while demanding a lock of his hair. His stepfather or some of his congregation surely would have taken them all to task for behaving so badly, but everyone just excused it as Miles is so perfect that the women couldn't help themselves. Hmm.

When Miles was young, he saved Jemma's cousin from dying. The cousin understandably was half in love with him afterward. Jemma started the rumor that Miles was going to marry her cousin, and now she and his friends all believe this even though Miles has refused to marry her. The cousin has even resigned herself that he isn't going to marry her. I just kept thinking "Gee, what friends--they don't really know him and care more about pressuring him to marry the cousin than about his happiness."

For the first half of the story, I also kept thinking that none of this would happen if he'd just get a backbone. He'd tell people "no" but was "too kind" to firmly convince people that he really meant it. But he did finally realize this and started to change, which redeemed him in my estimation. As Jemma was the cause of her own misery and refused to even consider changing her stance until her cousin took things in hand, I had a little more trouble feeling pity for her.

However, all of the characters were generally likable. Historical details served more as a backdrop than as necessary to the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this humorous story.


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 in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly

Murder in Highbury
by Vanessa Kelly

ISBN-13: 9781496745972
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Released: Oct. 22, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, the former Miss Emma Woodhouse gracefully balances the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health. But then Emma and Harriet Martin discover a hideous shock at the local church: the corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, on the altar steps, an expensive necklace stripped from her neck.

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, and suspicions suddenly fall on Miss Bates. Armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections, Emma decides to investigate to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.


My Review:
Murder in Highbury is a mystery set in 1815 in England. The author took the characters from Jane Austen's "Emma" and changed them a bit. For example, Emma's very outspoken in criticizing men in authority to their faces rather than using the more subtle set-down of a well-bred lady. She poked through someone's desk looking for clues while asking Harriet to stand lookout. Austen's Emma was oblivious to subtle relational interplays happening around her and jumped to conclusions, but in this mystery, Emma noticed when things were subtly off. Also, Miss Bates didn't just ramble on but was a fainting, hysterical lady-in-distress when people asked her questions about the day of the murder. Mrs. Bates might be hard of hearing and slept a lot but she's very engaged with what's going on. While foundational aspects of the original characters were still present, they all felt modified to suit the story the author wanted to tell.

I guessed whodunit early on and was astounded that no one but Emma (at the very end) even considered a most obvious suspect (who had motive, access to the murder scene, and the ability to do the murder). While it's clear that the author did some research into the time period, the social relationships often felt too modern. The coroner and constable both wanted to investigate and arrest people at will, sometimes assuming Mr. Knightly role as magistrate behind his back even though they knew this would offend him. This just didn't seem realistic as the social hierarchy was still pretty rigid at that time. However, it did drag out the mystery because Mr. Knightly was busy trying to minimalize the damage done by two bumbling men bucking his authority rather than everyone working together in their assigned roles. I guess it was the excuse for why Emma had to investigate instead.

All that said, it was an enjoyable enough take on Emma as a sleuth. There were no sex scenes. There were only 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.

Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge

Murder Takes the Stage
by Colleen Cambridge

ISBN-13: 9781496742599
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Released: Oct. 22, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is quite in her element at Mallowan Hall, the charming English manor that she keeps in tip-top shape. By contrast, the bustling metropolis of London, where her famed employer Agatha Christie has temporarily relocated, leaves Phyllida a bit out of her depth. Not only must she grapple with a limited staff, but Phyllida also has to rein in a temperamental French cook who has the looks of Hercule Poirot, but none of the charm.

When a man named Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair onstage at the Adelphia Theater, seemingly of natural causes. But the very next day, the unlucky actor playing Benvolio at the Belmont Theater is found with his head bashed in. And when a third victim turns up, this time with double-C initials, the fatal pattern is impossible to ignore. With panic erupting among theater folk—a superstitious bunch at the best of times—Phyllida steps up to help with the investigation. The murderer’s M.O. may be easy to read, but can Phyllida uncover the killer’s identity before the final curtain falls on another victim?


My Review:
Murder Takes the Stage is a mystery set in 1930 in England. This is the 4th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one. The household is in London because Agatha's trying to get one of her stories made into a play. A director and friend of Agatha asks Phyllida to investigate murder and creates a cover story that she's a newspaper reporter. People were quite happy to talk with her, and she maneuvered the conversation to topics she was interested in. She was quick to spot clues and logically consider possibilities.

This was probably the best mystery in the series. I initially thought it was a certain person for reasons Phyllida gave at the end, but one of the final, critical clues made whodunit guessable to both reader and Phyllida, though Phyllida hid the name until her Big Reveal. Phyllida becoming more likable as the series progresses. Historical details were woven into the story, bringing the time and place alive in my imagination without slowing the pacing.

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.

One Last Stand by Susan May Warren

One Last Stand
by Susan May Warren

ISBN-13: 9780800745509
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: October 8, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As a member of the Air One Rescue team, pilot London Brooks has built a new life--one far away from her clandestine past as an operative tasked to take down a branch of Russian terrorists. She has no desire to reenter that world. But the past won't stay past. Someone has sent assasination after her, she has no choice but to plunge back into the treacherous world she left behind. Even if she must surrender everything--and everyone--she loves in her new life.

Shep Watson will never forget the day he saved London Brooks from the avalanche that nearly killed her. He knows there is more to her story, but he'll let her keep her secrets. Just when it seems she's finally ready to let him into her heart, her dead, mutilated body is found in a lake. When he learns she's still alive but in danger, he can't bear to lose her again. Which means, somehow, he'll have to enter her world, keep up with her, and figure out a way to bring her home.


My Review:
One Last Stand is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the 4th in the series. It does help to have read at least some of the previous books as some of the London/Shep action has occurred already and the characters from the previous books are highly involved in this story. However, the author provided enough background that you can understand what's going on without reading the previous books.

The main characters were engaging and came across as real people. I cared about what happened to them. Shep and London realized that they only had a superficial knowledge about each other and got to know each other better as they worked together. They had to decide what they really wanted out of life while they tried to free London from the dangers brought on by her past. There was plenty of suspense from the physical dangers of doing spy stuff as well as the search and rescue. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense.


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.