More Fab Reading from Flaxmere Library Book Chat

This book group had been reading like anything, cosying up with wide assortment of genres. While not a lot of non-fiction is generally discussed, we opened with The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Bettany Hughes. These fantastic creations (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Colossus at Rhodes, to name but three) have captured our imaginations for millennia. This was enthralling read and recommended for anyone interested in archaeology or ancient history.

An unusual book was Gilead by Marilynne Robinson which follows the story of John Ames, a pastor in a small mid-western town in America. Towards the end of his life, Ames has been blessed with marriage and a child. This book is his story, set down for his son to read after he has gone. It also chronicles life in the town and relationships with family, neighbours and with God.

Another reader is a big fan of Santa Montefiore. Secrets of the Lighthouse was a terrific read, according to our reader, gripping and lovely, taking you to Connemara, where Ellen arrives after the death of her mother. Discovering her mother’s diary she finds questions to explore and while she’s there she meets Conor, also devastated by loss and with secrets of his own. An epic romance that hits the spot.

The Secret Hours also by Santa Montefiore is one of those books you have to force yourself to put down, it is just so compelling. Faye is bereft when her formidable mother Arethusa dies, her will requesting her ashes to be scattered in a remote part of Ireland. Faye’s journey to the home of her ancestors will unearth a raft of secrets. This is the fourth book in the Deverill Chronicles, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Hangman Island by Kate Rhodes is the latest in the Isles of Scilly Mysteries following the cases of policeman DI Ben Kitto. This book concerns the disappearance of an experienced sailor followed by a gruesome discovery and a murderer ready to strike again. In this close community, everybody knows everybody – or do they? Our reader had mixed feelings about this book, as the story is somewhat confusing, but was glad to finish it.

The Letter by Josephine Cox was an easy read, but also a different kind of story. It concerns two sisters, bookish Alice and Bella who is looking forward to her wedding. When they take in their cousin Millie, who says she is being mistreated at home, events take a disturbing turn, and the girls soon question their act of kindness. Our reader thought this a lovely story that captures its period setting well.

Nicola Pryce also writes historical novels, and her latest, The Cornish Rebel is set in Cornwall 1801, where Pandora returns to help her aunt with her school. But the two women must battle to save the school after a series of sinister events threatens its reputation. Is someone after her aunt’s estate and who can they trust? A good read, but you have to persevere.

If we were to give a prize for the most popular author at Flaxmere Book Chat, it would have to go to Elly Griffiths. The Last Word is the fourth book in the Harbinder Kaur series, and follows two characters from a previous book who have set themselves up as private detectives. Odd couple, Natalka and Edwin are investigating the death of a local writer whose children are convinced has been murdered. The trail leads them to a writers retreat in what turns out to be a rather convoluted story, but worth the effort.

Another reader has been working her way through the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths which is our favourite series by this author. Set in Norfolk, it has gripping murder plots, archaeology and folklore, as well as humour and characters that are great fun to hang out with.

Sometimes we enjoy books with beautiful descriptions of places. This is certainly the case for Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy. We’re swept back into the days of frontier life and wagon trains heading west across America. Beth is escaping a tyrannical father and turns her trust towards wagon train scout Jack. There’s heart-stopping danger and the promise of romance in this first of a series.

The New Wife by J P Delaney is a psychological thriller that explores the fallout following the death of a husband and father. Finn and Jess inherit his house in Mallorca, but discover that what was once a dilapidated farmhouse has been transformed into a chic Mediterranean bolthole by their father’s new wife. On top of that, the police are unhappy with circumstances around the man’s death. A twisty story that keeps you guessing until the end.

What a bloodthirsty lot the characters of ancient Greek mythology were. Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a captivating read that follows three women who are involved in the background to the Trojan War. There’s Clytemnestra, wife to Agamemnon who led the Greek warships; Elektra, their daughter; and Cassandra, the Trojan princess and prophetess whose predictions come true but whom nobody believes. A well-written tale of revenge that keeps to the original story.

Anna Jacobs is another author who often does the rounds at Book Chat. The Nurses of Eastby End, is a new departure for Jacobs and follows recently qualified nurse Rachel who wants to make a difference. Taking up a position in a village, she’s appalled by the slum conditions and poverty. A good story with an interesting historical setting, plus the promise of romance.

Code Name Butterfly by Embassie Susberry continues the trend for books set behind enemy lines during World War II. This time it’s Paris 1941, where journalist, Elodie Mitchell uncovers an underground resistance movement behind the scenes of a Josephine Baker show. Soon she’s drawn into the world of undercover espionage where getting caught is not an option. This is a gripping story with a wonderful ending.

The Grazier’s Son by Cathryn Hein takes us to rural Victoria, where helicopter pilot Stirling Hawley travels to claim an inheritance from the father he never knew. There’s hostility from the locals, a house that is in a poor state of repair, family secrets, near death and rescue in the form of an attractive vintage clothing designer. All in all, this is a diverting, light read.

Sara Donati’s new book, The Sweet Blue Distance, takes us to New Mexico in 1857 where New York midwife Carrie Ballentyne takes a position involving a lengthy and dangerous journey across the country. But the friends she makes on the way will support her when she discovers her new job is fraught with more challenges than she was led to expect. A really good yarn, and a love story with some insight into racial inequality from the time.

Katie Hutton’s novel, The Maid of Lindal Hall describes the period in English social history when the workhouses were closed, replaced by Cottage Homes for pauper children. Molly has been at the McClure’s home since she was three and knows nothing of what has brought her there. Trained for service, Molly takes a position at ramshackle Lindal Hall, where the owner is moody and unpredictable, damaged by his experiences in the trenches.

Our last book of the day is another historical novel – and it’s a beauty. The Engraver’s Secret by Lisa Medved takes us back to the time of Peter Paul Rubens, in the 1600s. In Antwerp, Antonia’s father engraves the work of the famous painter, but he imparts to his daughter a terrible secret. In modern day Belgium, Charlotte is an art historian researching Rubens as well as seeking answers about her long-lost father. A secret inside the folio of an ancient map brings the two stories together.

28 August 2024

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