Purchased – Page 18 – Carol's Notebook

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

January 30, 2023January 30, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Legendborn. I don't often read YA, but I love a good King Arthur retelling and the fact that it stars a young black woman gives it a uniqueness. For Briana Matthews, a lot of things seem to come easily. She’s an excellent student, accepted to UNC Chapel Hill's Early College program at 16. She’s close with her parents and her best friend Alice, who is joining her at school. But Bree's mother dies in a car accident right before Bree left for school and after the two had had an argument. Lost in her grief and unsure of her path, Bree finds herself pulled into a secret society with members who call themselves “Legendborn”. The mysteries of this group appear to have some connection with her mother’s death, so Bree dives head-first into an organization that makes it very clear it was not made for her. The Legendborn draw on the numerous...

Murder at Feathers & Flair by Lee Strauss

January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Felicia, Ginger's sister-in-law, asks for Ginger's help in finding in hunting down a missing actor, but that is rather left to the side when someone is killed at an event Ginger is hosting at her dress shop, Feathers & Flair. There's a lot going on here, missing actors, a stolen necklace, a dead society lady, a coded message. Ginger is her usual clever, fashionable self. Once again, she's working with Chief Inspector Basil Reed -whose wife is back in the picture. I could do without the "will they - won't they" but looking ahead it seems like that situation will be resolved soon. It's a fun mystery with I enjoy the '20s details. I've been enjoying listening to the audio versions of this series. They're relatively short and lively....

Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss

January 24, 2023January 20, 2023 by CarolNo Comments

Lady Ginger Gold is called back to her late husband's family home, Bray Manor. The Dowager Lady Gold, Ginger's grandmother through marriage is convinced there is a ghost in the house, moving items from room to room to frighten her. Ginger's relatives have opened the manor to host group events to bring in some much-needed income. The manor hosts a charity dance that goes quite well, but the next morning one of the guests is found dead at the edge of the pond. The local police are out of their depth, so Ginger suggests the services of Scotland Yard be brought in and has them call Detective Inspector Basil Reed. This time around there were a lot of people to keep track of - neighbors, the members of the knitting group, a man Ginger knew during the war. It was another fun entry though, even if I felt "meh" about the solution. I just finished listening to the 4th but...

Murder at Hartigan House by Lee Strauss

January 23, 2023January 20, 2023 by Carol2 Comments

Murder at Hartigan House picks up where Murder on the S.S. Rosa left off. Ginger has just arrived back at Hartigan House in London where she grew up, to take care of her deceased father's estate and decide what she wants to do with the house. The house has been shut up for the past 10 years and has just been readied for her return. There is some distressing news, however. Pippins, the family's long-time butler, has discovered the body of a woman. When circumstances and evidence begin to point towards her father, Ginger decides to investigate and once again finds herself "assisting" Chief Inspector Basil Reed. If I'm ever involved in a murder, remind me not to go the "party" where all the people who were at the event when the person was killed get together again. It never turns out well. Either somebody else gets killed, like in this story, or I'd end up getting accused of murder. The mystery...

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

January 12, 2023March 21, 2023 by Carol6 Comments

Seven years ago a ship, the Atargatis, sailed to the Mariana Trench looking for mermaids. Imagine Network planned to make a huge amount of money off the planned mockumentary. Instead, the entire crew was lost at sea and only raw video footage to show what happened. They had found mermaids - and mermaids are not friendly. Now, the entertainment company is planning a second voyage. A film crew and a large group of diverse scientists are going back to find out what happened and to prove mermaids exist. Diverse in disciplines - marine biologists, cetologists, chemical biologists, cryptid hunters, and diverse in backstories - sexual orientations, disabilities, financial resources, and cultural backgrounds. Some of the scientists have personal reasons for going, like Tory whose sister died on the Atargatis and Dr. Toth whose life's work has been centered on Sirens. Others are approaching it as a cruise where they get to do their own research, not believing in the mermaids. I...

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen

January 9, 2023January 12, 2023 by Carol6 Comments

Lavender House was a satisfying mystery, but the characters and setting made it outstanding. San Francisco, 1952. Andy was a police detective until he was caught in a raid with his pants down at a gay bar. Fired, disgraced, and shunned, he is contemplating throwing himself into the Bay. Then he is approached by Pearl, who asks him to investigate the murder of her wife, Irene Lamontaine, the head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene was killed at Lavender House, the family estate which is also a haven for the queer Lamontaine family and their staff. The mystery is fairly straightforward, although there are reasons to suspect most of the members of the household. The author does a good job with the historical part of the mystery, really setting it in its time and place, And the characters are fabulous - loving, hopeful, damaged, afraid, confident. I listened to the audiobook and while the narrator was sometimes a little...