Reading Recommendations from Book Chat

Flaxmere Library Book Chat always covers plenty of interesting reading, but if the group had to choose, it would probably be mystery fiction that was the favourite genre, with historical novels a close second, or for that matter, historical mysteries. Here’s a bunch of historical fiction and mystery recommendations, with one or two more that are outside the box.

Our first mystery novel was The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction by Robert Goddard, a mystery that makes you really concentrate but it is so well worth the trouble. Umiko Wada has inherited her late boss’s private detective business, including the client who asks her to find a missing son. The case relates to another case in the 1990s, well before Wada’s time, and a wealthy filmmaker and unscrupulous businessman. There’s also the woman who predicted the Kobe earthquake that no one took seriously. Lots going on but it all comes together in the end for a satisfying read.

Without a Trace by Liza Marklund begins with an assault on a wealthy businessman, his wife having gone missing, leaving their children to be taken into care. Journalist Annika Bengtzon investigates the case. Alongside her investigations, Annika is also trying to build a happy and harmonious home around a new boyfriend and their two sets of children, so there’s a lot going on. This is number ten in the Annika Bengtzon series.

A Body in Seaview Grange by Dee McDonald is a cosy murder mystery, the second in the Kate Palmer series. Kate has retired as a practice nurse to a little Cornish village, but with expensive home repairs to pay for, she’s back nursing at Seaview Grange, a luxury retirement home. When a glamorous former opera singer is found poisoned, Kate and newly retired DI Forrest investigate with no shortage of suspects. A light, fun read in the vein of Agatha Christie.

Consolation by Garry Disher is the third Paul Hirschhausen mystery featuring a small town cop and the darker undercurrents of life in rural Australia. This time Paul’s got a snowdropper on his patch (a stealer of women’s underwear), as well as a young child in danger. Her dad isn’t where he should be and before long things escalate to murder. A brilliant atmospheric mystery-thriller.

Wild Shores by Marta Adolfsson is the second book in the Doggerland trilogy, set on islands between Denmark and England – an imaginary place where Karen Hornby is a police officer. She investigates the discovery of a body in a flooded quarry in Nooro, the home also of her father’s wayward family. It’s Christmas, and with limited resources Karen is up against it when another death occurs. She can only wonder if her relatives are involved. This was a really good mystery in the Scandi Noir genre.

The first historical novel for the day was The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams - such a brilliant read if you love words, tracing as it does the origins of the Oxford English Dictionary. The author really paints of a picture that helps you imagine the character of young Esme, collecting discarded words from under the table where her father and other lexicographers are working. The story builds to include the women’s suffrage movement in England. Recommended.

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar follows the story of Emsley Wilson, a Hollywood auctioneer, who finds what she first takes to be her grandmother’s diary. The plot takes you to the world of Van Gogh, and the efforts his sister-in-law went to in order to sell his work in Paris. The novel gives you a lot of insight into Van Gogh’s world, his family and his art. It’s a really good read, whether you like Van Gogh’s art or not.

Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie is a Titanic story but not like any you’ve read before. It all begins in Nice, where Imrie has set several humorous novels. This more serious story follows Marcela, a gifted seamstress who decides to divorce her bullying husband. Their two small boys are caught in the middle. We’ve also got young socialite Margaret who books a passage on the ill-fated ship to travel and see some sights before settling down. How both stories intertwine makes for a gripping read but have a box of tissues handy.

The Armour of Light by Ken Follett is another tome from an author who rarely writes a short book, but apparently they are easy to read as you soon get lost in the story. And it’s the same with this new book. We’re back in Kingsbridge where characters, Sal, David and Kit are affected by the developing Industrial Revolution. In the background we’ve got a Napoleon on the warpath and a tyrannical government eager to make England a mighty empire. So much to enjoy.

The Secret Shore by Liz Fenwick follows Merry, a skilled mapmaker with the War Office during WWII. Her work takes her to Cornwall, her old stamping ground and where there’s also a family crisis. She finds herself working alongside an American officer on secret operations around the rugged Cornish coasts as well as Brittany. There’s rumour and suspicion as well as romance among the danger, all adding to an engaging read.

For those of us who like historical mysteries, one reader recommends A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch, the first in the Charles Lenox mystery series. Lenox is a Victorian gentleman who is asked to help a friend, Lady Jane from next door, whose servant is dead by apparent suicide. Lenox has something of an interest in poisons and suspects foul play. This is a light read with appealing characters.

The Mistress of Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is set in England, 1903. A keen Egyptologist, the Earl of Stainton has decamped to the Middle East to continue his research, leaving wife Kitty to manage his baby son as well as a host of problems. These include all kinds of bad behaviour from the earl’s young sisters and brother, while a terrible crime takes place below stairs. Can Kitty establish herself as mistress and keep her own secrets from coming out?

A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge is the second mystery in the Phyllida Bright series featuring none other than Agatha Christie’s housekeeper. Phyllida often discusses the details of Agatha’s murder plots, but of course, murder comes close to home. When a Murder Fete is organised to raise funds for an orphanage, there’s a tragic poisoning. Along with guests there are members of The Detection Club of famous crime authors, and each one of them has the skills required for getting away with murder.

The only fantasy novel to appear at Book Chat this time around was The Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho, which is set in an imaginary Regency London and a world where magic is a possibility. The new Sorcerer Royal causes a stir because he’s a freed slave and doesn’t even have a familiar. But Zacharias Wythe could be just the man for the job at a time when England’s magical stocks are drying up. Perhaps help will come from a new comrade, a woman with an extraordinary gift in this fun and enthralling debut fantasy novel.

Another genre overlap is the mystery-thriller genre. Here's a few books that will keep you guessing and keep you on the edge of your seat.

No Plan B by Lee and Andrew Child has Jack Reacher visiting a town in Colorado where he witnesses a woman being thrown under a bus. It looks like a murder/theft but when the death is written off as a suicide, it seems to be part of a wider conspiracy. Another homicide ruled as an accident confirms Reacher’s worst suspicions. This was an excellent addition to the Reacher collection and it’s interesting to see how the two authors work together to create a seamless narrative.

Still Standing by Stephen Leather is the third of the Matt Sanding thrillers and takes the reader to Thailand where an old soldier acquaintance of Matt’s is found dead, supposedly of suicide. Pete’s brother Davie can’t believe Pete killed himself and enlists SAS Sergeant Matt Standing’s help. As soon as they begin investigating they come under fire and Matt will need all his SAS skills to survive. A really good read laced with humour.

The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton has an ending you won’t see coming. It all begins with a tragic fall at a beachside cottage which leaves Lane with amnesia and her boyfriend dead. When she returns to the house to collect her things, Lane is stranded during a storm. A concerned neighbour arrives on the scene, a witness to crucial events, as well as a suspicious detective. A gripping psychological thriller.

Broken Light is the latest book by Joanne Harris where the main character is Bernie Moon, a woman with an unusual gift. Dealing with menopause and a feeling that life is passing her by, the murder of a young woman in a local park has Bernie thinking. She’s reminded of events in her childhood and a talent that she’s kept under wraps through adulthood. A chilling and thought-provoking read.

After all that excitement, a nice feel-good read could be just the thing. A Vintage Village Bake-Off by Judy Leigh follows Robert, a keen baker in his seventies and the unlikely sex symbol of the village gardening club. Perhaps it’s his scones, which are second to none. Or are they? A baking competition will settle the debate once and for all and this attracts the interest of his sisters, Bunty and Hattie, who are both at a crossroads in their lives. Another fun, feel-good read from the author of stories featuring an older demographic having the times of their lives in retirement.

Gum Tree Gully by Mandy Magro is a charming story following Samantha Evans, home from London for her best friend’s wedding in small town Australia. Her country past comes back to her, particularly when she meets Connor Gunn, her childhood sweetheart. Will she have to choose between her brilliant career in London, the place she’s come to call home, or a new future in Gum Tree Gully?

Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society by Sophie Green has us back in Australia again, this time it’s Noosa Heads where Cynthia is getting over a divorce and hoping to reconnect with her pregnant 19-year-old daughter. Cynthia’s old friend Lorraine convinces her to join a gardening society, helping in gardens that are more than their owners can manage. But for the gardeners themselves, it’s a chance to make friends, connect with nature and feel better about the world. Lovely.

Still in Australia, Magpie’s Bend by Mya Linnel takes us north of Brisbane where life centres around a small town general store. When the owner retires, the town fears out-of-town buyers won’t understand what the local residents need and how other businesses also depend on the store. Bush nurse Lara and journalist Toby are among the characters who band together to try to save the shop.

Giving us something to think about is The Earth Transformed by Peter Frankopan, the only non-fiction book reviewed. It describes how long ago events, disasters and climatic changes have affected communities of people, as they adapt and make sense of the natural world. Whether it be through their language, their relationships with the environment, social order or migration, Frankopan takes us from the beginning of recorded history to the present day. A fascinating read from the historian who brought us The Silk Roads – a master of the ‘big picture’.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri is a beautiful story about beekeeper Nuri and his wife Afra, an artist, and how their life is turned upside down by war. Forced to flee their home in Syria, they embark on a new future in Britain. Both Afra and Nuri are so traumatised they are affected in quite different ways. This is one of those books that has an open ending and our reader wondered if there might be a sequel in the pipeline.

Flaxmere Library Book Chat meets fortnightly on Tuesdays at 10:30 am - new members are always welcome.

12 February 2024

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