A village with a rash of poison pen letters that lead to death. The narrator is rehabbing in the country and quickly becomes embroiled in the community of interesting characters and tries his hand at sussing out the culprit.
Most enjoyable was the humor peppered throughout - some LOL comments, for sure!
But while this IS a Miss Marple, fair warning she plays a small part. She sweeps in to put the final pieces together. As we need her to!

I have seen several reviews that this is a ‘least favorite‘ in the #Gamache series but I found it just as riveting as usual. My suggestion is to read the historical note at the end first though! Knowing the real origin of a major plot point helps tons IMO. Otherwise one might think Penny jumped the shark😉 Trigger warning for offscreen death of a child. Fascinating puzzle, historical, Gamache & team growing in new roles. Book 11 = well worth it.

This self-described bit of ‘frothy fun‘ was an enjoyable light read with the #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub. A vivid view of a 1930s era clothing shop as well as the delightful home life of the Brown family. I have to admit Annabel the MC was basically the least interesting character so it was not unputdownable for me. I was also not smitten by the male lead. I AM glad to have read my first Susan Scarlett and look forward to more!

I ‘may‘ have gone a tad overboard immediately buying a stack of new Susan Scarlet novels when Dean Street Press pubbed them a few months ago…so am VERY glad the #FurrowedMiddlebrowclub is nudging me to pick up my first one and read Clothes-Pegs this month.
Thanks, team!

(at least I only bought 6 of the 12? Such self control!🤦🏼‍♀️)

Book 3 in this series was even better than its predecessors! Small town witches in the British countryside routinely harassed by WWII dogfights overhead find themselves pulled directly into the war effort while searching for a traitor in their midst. Evil Nazi warlock from book 2 reappears, Faye deals with a ghostly airman, and tries to access her mum‘s destroyed notes to learn what she needs to know. Magic abounds, ending was gorgeous.

October choices for #PersephoneClub voting!

Since Litsy has no descriptions for these, thanks to my predecessors who posted the catalog link/pages inspiring me to plop the descriptions in the image for you! Get out your 🔍

After loving Milton Place, I wanted to read de Waal‘s Exiles Return. Paired with On the Other Side you have the choice between the exile story in post WWII Vienna or the German wartime experience in Hamburg via letters. Vote!

An absolutely wonderful body swap novel from 1930s Britain! An aristocratic Lady & a middle class housewife find themselves swapping consciousness with each other at random times. Comedy ensues with interesting insights RE: thinking the grass is always greener for others. Instantly a favorite of 2022 and one that checks all the boxes for an excellent read: eye-opener that will stick with me, made me both chuckle and tear up. (+ pretty cover😉)

I love McGuire‘s Wayward Children series and have had my eye on this Hugo-nominated urban fantasy series for a bit. Even though most reviews say it doesn‘t get great until a few books in, I enjoyed this as is! Might be the fae fiefdoms being set in my native SF Bay Area, but I thought the world set-up totally fantastic & intriguing. Toby is complicated and situations can get dark. I look forward to tearing through the series now that I am hooked!

I usually like my fiction pure fantasy or pure realism, but this novel convinced me a mix could win me over. I loved the alternating narrators + timeline jumps to flush out the story—the writing held together perfectly. A few times I was worried if/how it could be brought together but the ending was beautifully done. The characters reveal themselves subtly so we feel like we know them—and most importantly, like them. The nature-based magic was A+

Apologies for being slow to finish this #PersephoneClub pick! A lovely if melancholy portrait of an English country house past its prime and the people connected to it who are jolted to life by a foreign visitor. The writing was beautiful, the descriptions of the house and grounds eloquent, and Waal brilliantly portrays complex characters subtly and perfectly. I hoped for a happy ending though I knew that was unrealistic…

#Persephone

Perfect read for the season! Grisly dark fairy tales from all over the world. Beautifully illustrated (just look at the shiny gold accents on the cover!) - and at just over 100 pages it is a delightful dip-in-dip-out of 14 quick tales.
SO dark and every one of them properly grim.
Love that each has the country of origin listed for each tale and the art reflects it.
FUN!

The 2nd in the Wayfarers series has often been recommended and I am glad I finally gave it the attention it deserved.
Two separate storylines alternate throughout: Pepper‘s origin story as well as Sidra‘s struggles with her new life.
And while I admit at first I dipped in and out, powering through the last half in one go paid off.
Holy smokes the ending is beautiful and perfect and everything reading should be - it brought tears to my eyes 💕

Brilliant description of Nazi banners ‘like long gashes of blood crawling with spiders.‘

Whoa. Powerful and surprising visual kicked me in the gut - amazing to be surprised by something I assumed I was familiar with. Excellent writing.

#PersephoneClub

This book has tempted me over the years and turned out to be a delight. Regency romance with magic. Cool magic system and characters that will remind you of various Jane Austen characters - many of the the annoying ones 🤦🏼‍♀️
This was her debut novel so I am looking forward to it getting even better and have already ordered book 2…though it does wrap up nicely enough to standalone.

Started my #PersephoneClub pick and before I knew it, it was past my bedtime 🤦🏼‍♀️
So far it is very engaging - love the writing and the characters are so well drawn. I can‘t believe she only had 2 novels published posthumously. Glad #PersephoneBooks has both available for us now. Bless them for unearthing gems written by women at risk of being forgotten!

Not my favorite, but was very atmospheric and introspective. Because it centered on Clara and Peter and the art world again, I was not terribly invested but glad I read it so I can keep on keeping on in my #Gamache reading! Book 10 = done.
Enjoyed my time spent with Gamache, Reine-Marie, and Beauvoir.
I found Ruth more interesting this time with depth she usually hides behind being a caricature. 🦆
#ThreePines

If you like David Sedaris, you will enjoy this book of essays. He covers some heavy issues, but also made me physically laugh-out-loud. Not always comfortable reads, but always worth it. Plus we see a good amount of sister Amy. And this cover! 🤦🏼‍♀️😆

Wowza. The last 100 pages are a wild tense ride! Loved this one (even though the interesting murder plot is almost incidental) because it brings SO much together from the previous long arc storylines for a very intense journey toward resolution. Stunning. Kind of exhausting too - but that may be my fault for reading 9 #Gamache books within 2 months🤦🏼‍♀️😆
Interestingly it felt finale-ish, though we know it isn‘t. Plenty more #ThreePines TK!

This has zero #ThreePines connection and that was refreshing. Just Gamache & Beauvoir at a mysterious monastery in the far backwoods, where some serious real world issues rear their head. Lots of darkness vs light and many secrets to unearth. Extremely engaging from the murder mystery to the developments in the relationship between G & B. Heavy but necessary stuff - and propels me immediately into the next book in the series!
#Gamache #whodunnit

An autobiographical novel of a London friend group who bonded during WWII & find a house to let in the countryside post-war, it is an interesting look at trying to live an unrealistic dream. Full of detail of living in a certain time gone by but I found it simply a series of disjointed characterless anecdotes. Story-less. Choppy. When the rats have more character than the narrator‘s husband, I struggle to care. Was odd. Abrupt end. Unsatisfying.

Book 7 in the #Gamache series is back in #ThreePines when a dead body appears literally in Clara‘s backyard. This installment focusses on the Montreal art scene - which is quite dramatic! Fallout in the characters‘ personal lives from events in the previous 2 books continue and connect to the current mystery. Addiction and forgiveness are both dealt with in interesting ways. Another excellent Gamache book! And onto the next…
#whodunnit

OMG. Book 6 in the #Gamache series is brilliant and heartbreaking. Penny wove together several plots even interweaving thoughts and conversations seamlessly as Gamache remembers a recent traumatic event in the midst of a current mystery. It contains both tales of personal history for Gamache/Beauvoir as well as Quebec historical events. Magnificent.
This was so damn good I worry nothing can match it - and yet I have already opened the next one!

I was in the mood for a quick something different and this little book of odd, speculative fiction fit the bill perfectly. As with all books of short stories, some rise to the top and the best is the one that reveals more about the cat from her bestselling novel All the Birds in the Sky 😸

If anyone in the #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub is also a user of #StoryGraph, I set up a public reading challenge as a place to track my reads. It feels good to see them all in one place & log the ones I own - plus browse all the ones I want! Feel free to search by the words shown above and ‘join‘ - there is no social aspect. Just check off books one read at a time 😉
I will add new titles as they come out once I see their order on the back page. Enjoy!

Finally read the very first #Marple and it was a delight! At first I thought ‘more Marple, please!‘ but Christie knows her business and it was the perfect build-up in getting to know Jane Marple and how people underestimate her. The vicar as narrator and the intro to the village were perfect. The mystery well done. The surprise was the wit and humor in the dialogue. Such a good read!
#agathachristie #missmarple #whodunnit

Book 5 in the #Gamache series was brutal indeed. Very personal to our #ThreePines residents and some favorite folk will never be the same. One of the best ones so far, for sure.

Continuing my #Gamache reading spree. Book 4 of the series was a slower read and set in a remote luxury lodge and not in #ThreePines. Focusing on a dysfunctional well-to-do family and the lodge employees, the mystery was satisfying and all of the characters were well drawn. Was a definite plus to see more of Madame Gamache! While the locale was quite atmospheric and interesting, I look forward to the next book in our favorite murderous village 😉

My 3rd #Gamache book and the best part was learning more about his backstory & his life. The murder mystery du jour was creepy and well done but as I will keep saying, the best part is getting deeper into the story of Chief Inspector Gamache & the primary recurring #ThreePines characters. Fun how Penny introduces new characters but makes us feel there were living here the whole time! This had a very Christie all-suspects-in-a-room scene too😉

I enjoyed this 2nd book in the Three Pines/Armand Gamache series which drew me farther into the village life & characters. The progression of all the regulars‘ stories was a plus. Though this was a troubling murder for me - when I hate the victim SO much and am glad they have been silenced (The Worst Human EVER) and regret Gamache finding the killer 🤦🏼‍♀️
But it is best he does his job honorably, as he does.
I get it😉
#gamache #threepines

Loved this intro to Three Pines and Armand Gamache! The writing was right up my alley and it was surprisingly much deeper and wider than just a murder mystery. The Quebecois world and characters drew me in and the subtle humor, interesting (oddball?) characters, and outright zingers were well placed to lighten the darkness. I now ‘get‘ why people literally search for Three Pines!
I have already started book 2…
#gamache #threepines

As with any collection of stories by a variety of authors, the style & quality here vary. While I found this a bit uneven, it was enjoyable to have a collection of new Miss Marple stories and it was a fast, fun read.
And I will just repeat what several reviews on goodreads said - in response to the publisher‘s blurb that this can introduce new readers to Christie & Marple, I think the best thing is to read the originals!
#agathachristie

I have no clue why this arrived in the mail - maybe I answered a ‘request an arc‘ ad and don‘t remember? But it is a cool surprise and looks fun so I jumped in.
Will let you know how it goes!
Pubs in Sept 2022
#agathachristie #missmarple

5 stars.
Astonishingly good. All the threads are perfectly woven in this time travel pandemic book that doesn‘t FEEL like a time travel pandemic book.
Those things (time travel, pandemic) just allow for beautifully posited big questions with a variety of characters I was invested in across time.
I am a sucker for good endings and this delivered!

This was a fun #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub read about 2 plucky girls making their way after WWI with lots of good luck and plenty of good intentions. The writing was witty, the characters all likable, overall a very uplifting read. I enjoyed especially when Lucilla had to take on a Jane attitude when Jane was down. Turnabout was well done.
The ending was a tad abrupt and I will note my issues with that last chapter in the comments with a spoiler tag…

The latest Rivers of London was just the antidote for a bit of a reading slump. After 8 books I worried I might be getting tired of the series but there are some excellent developments here to make me rededicate myself to it! Very cool larger magical world plot points as well as Peter‘s personal life made for a fun read. Very satisfying indeed. I do wish there was more Nightingale though…
#riversoflondon #magicalmystery

Hello #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub -
Your Sept group reading decision is the choice between 2 houses: The House Opposite by Barbara Noble which is a novel of life during the Blitz with various interesting-sounding folk and A House in the Country by Ruth Adam about post-war life of a group who decide to adjust to peace time together in a country manor house they find available to rent.
I will link to the Ruth Adam book description in the comments!

Delightful! This 1959 gem starts on an odd premise - Jody awakes from a fall determined to figure out why she has a memory of a man walking a goat - then turns into an engaging mystery plus sweet romance. Jody blossoms as a gal coming into her own when refusing to ‘just forget about it‘. The tension builds brilliantly into a dark twist. Loved how the funny, light tone drew me in and then grabbed me by the neck.
#middlebrowmystery #middlebrow

How I have not read these Fables comics before? They are SO up my alley: fairy tale characters trying to live unnoticed in NYC. Dark, funny, definitely grown-up versions where some famous happily-ever-afters are now divorced, tensions get bloody, but they have to stick together because of where they come from. This first volume merges mystery, deceit & revolt among sly winks about characters we thought we knew. Next volume, ordered.

A dark witchy tale of a mother & daughter discovering magic in their youth. Their alternate timelines & voices meshed very well together, and all the mysteries came together in a very tense, exciting conclusion. I will admit Albert‘s writing sometimes annoys me & there was a ritual element that was definitely a trigger that I had to skip.
Fast, dark magic read that should satisfy if you have the need!
Due out in June 2022.

These decorative edges. Maybe the best I have ever seen!

p.s. this is a Waterstone‘s special edition 😉

A thoroughly enjoyable follow-up to Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. While the shock of Maud‘s extracurricular activities was a big part of loving the first book, this gives both glimpses of her life and past as well as setting up her future. Maud is nicely rounded out as a character and has cleaned up the streets of some less-than-likable foes. Delightful.

I just reviewed book 1 here because I HAD to tell you that book 2 is even better! With the events of bk 1 magically removed from village memory, this opens with a downed WW2 aircraft and 3 jewish children fleeing Europe coming to a local guardian. Faye is frustrated by her slow progress with magic. Then a murder occurs, and soon we find Nazi & dark magic connections. The war is more present in this bk and the magic has higher consequences. A+!

This is a hard one to describe: WW2 British village life with all the expected comedic characters. Our teen MC finds her dead mum‘s spellbook and realizes she was a witch. Then an evil spirit leads an animated crew of scarecrow folk on a siege of the town. We meet the undercover village witches, battle the evil scarecrow mob, meet folks obsessed with church bellringing, all while watching for the Luftwaffe above. Excellent combo of my fave genres!

This graphic adaptation is a delightful way to quickly revisit a favorite Austen. The writing was spot on in covering the main plot points.
While I was at first annoyed that the interior art style was NOT the same as this wonderfully moody cover, the more cartoony style inside did grow on me - especially as it could portray movement (the dancing!) and more animated character traits.
Obviously it cannot replace a read of the original, but fun!

A very engaging read! This is a non-Poirot/Marple book but full of suspects and interesting twists, as you would expect. A death ruled suicide, letters suggesting it was murder, a very small suspect pool, a trap set, a trap foiled. A successful solution. Ah.
Well done, Agatha.

#AgathaChristie #murder

A solid #pantone2022 read - and the color name #innuendo is wonderfully fitting 😉

A classic tale you would assume would be in this collection but I had to share because this art is mesmerizing. Would make a lovely art print on the wall…
#fairytale

Short and interesting. A covid lockdown story set in Lagos where womanizer Bambi is in a house with 2 women both claiming to be mother to the same baby. Weird sh*t ensues. Tense, confusing, interesting setting outside my wheelhouse, but nowhere near her amazing first novel My Sister the Serial Killer.
Well written though so will keep an eye on this author!

In the best fairy tale tradition, some of the stories in this collection are dark. The image grabbed me and told me to read this one today. Sad and dark and gorgeous art, it is the whole package.
#fairytale

These are my favorite 2 frames in this graphic novel about a Fae underground kingdom and a changeling child finding out about the many types of family.

Imagine watching the underground train pass by…and then a DRAGON 🐉
And some commuters in the scene don‘t even notice😹😹

What did I just read?

For me, the 1st half and 2nd half were very different.
I thought I knew what was going on, then the 2nd half undid those thoughts. And just confused me.

I now have brain scramblies and just need a lie down on a chaise-longue to let this book either soak in or have the next breeze relieve me of all the contradictory + confused feelings I now have…

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
⬇️