The Great Loveda Brown, by Jolie Tunnell
It’s 1912, and Loveda Brown’s violent ex-husband is on her trail as she heads west through California. She takes refuge in a town called Idyllwild. But when a murder victim is found the next day, she discovers she’s a prime suspect. Will she be able to convince the sheriff of her innocence and continue her journey? This book takes place in the same year as Strong Suspicions, which isn’t a common timeframe for historical fiction. It’s the first in the series (five books so far), so there’s a lot to look forward to!
The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn
What mystery lover can resist exploring Bletchley Park, the English estate that became a code-breaking hub during World War II? Three brilliant, unappreciated young women find themselves recruited for the cause: a partying society princess, a strong-willed fighter determined to escape poverty, and a timid girl cowed by her domineering mother. Their paths are tangled in friendship and secrecy. By 1947, they’re enemies, and one has been committed to an asylum. A mysterious, coded letter draws them together again—can they crack the code and lay their torments to rest.
A Peculiar Combination, by Ashley Weaver
Just when you think you’ve read every conceivable angle about World War II, Electra McDonnell emerges on the scene. I love the subgenre of bad-girls-gone-good, and Electra is a delightful addition as she’s persuaded to use her safe-breaking talent to assist the government. Her handler is the dashing Major Ramsey, whose charm makes the adventure even more intriguing as they work together to root out a double agent. This is the start of a new series by the author of the delightful Amory Ames series. I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, due in May 2022.
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The Right Sort of Man, by Allison Montclair In another fresh take on World War II, two women team up after the war to start the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. From vastly different worlds, the wise-cracking Iris Sparks and the gracious Gwendolyn Bainbridge help other women (and men) find new partners. Their venture is threatened when a client turns up dead and the man they recommended for her is a key suspect. While juggling the business, they take on the investigation, applying their unique investigative strengths. This engaging and original series has three books so far, with number four arriving in July 2022. |
The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
I love to talk about books with my adult kids, and when my eldest recommended this fantasy tome, I had no idea it was a cultural phenomenon. Patrick Rothfuss creates a magical world, fills it with eccentric characters, and puts them in harrowing situations. The plot twists kept me turning the pages as the hero, Kvothe, defies the odds with his skillful wizardry and hints at a mysterious past in poetic flashbacks. Book two continues the escapades in The Wise Man’s Fear. A word of warning: fans have been waiting for book three since 2011. Still, it’s worth reading the first two for the amazing world-building, characters, and plot.
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<p><em><strong>The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray</strong></em>
You had me at “librarian”—I adore a book about books. In 1905, Belle da Costa Greene, still in her twenties, becomes the curator for J.P. Morgan’s collection of rare books and art. She uses her negotiation savvy to add dazzling treasures to the Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle’s story is intensified by the fact that she hides her true identity as a light-skinned Black woman, passing as Portuguese to achieve success in a racist world. I’m a fan of Marie Benedict (alias Heather Terrell) from her previous best-seller, The Only Woman in the Room. She coauthors this story with Victoria Christopher Murray, an award-winning author of more than twenty novels.
Band of Sisters, by Lauren Willig
More defiant young women populate this story about Smith College students who volunteer to aid French civilians under siege by the Germans in World War I. Kate Moran hesitantly joins the group, but she soon rises to unimagined challenges with courage and determination. The volunteers struggle to provide food, supplies, and medical care to what’s left of the tiny villages. Conflicts and intrigues endanger their efforts, and they need to rise above their differences as German troops advance. Inspired by true events from letters written by the actual “Smithies,” this book combines incredible research with skillful storytelling.
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The Lions of Fifth Avenue, by Fiona Davis Wouldn’t you know it, another one of my favorites centers around a library. At the New York Public Library, the superintendent and his family occupy an apartment in the building in 1913. Laura Lyons supports her husband’s work at the library but yearns for something more. She enters Columbia Journalism School and expands her horizons in radical ways, until valuable works disappear from the library, putting her home and family in danger. The mystery is still unsolved when Laura’s granddaughter Sadie becomes a curator at the library eighty years later. This dual-timeline novel kept me engaged as two heroic women struggle with secrets. |
A Useful Woman, by Darcie Wilde
Rosalind Thorne is an unmarried woman in 19th century London whose family has lost their fortune. Rosalind makes herself useful by discreetly helping women of her social standing to solve delicate problems, using her intelligence and connections. In return, they extend hospitality and social invitations to her. But Rosalind’s resourcefulness is put to the test when she finds herself in a murder investigation. The attentions of a handsome duke and a charming police officer complicated her situation. Darcie Wilde has created an engaging heroine in this series, which now includes five books.
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<table style="width: 383.328px;" role="presentation" border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td id="bodyText-16" align="left"><p><em>The Book of Lost Names, by Kristin Harmel</em><br /><br />Books and libraries show up again—I’m beginning to detect a theme. This compelling World War II novel was inspired by a true story. A young woman named Eva secretly forges identity documents for Jewish children escaping from the Nazis. She cleverly develops a code (hidden in the titular book) to preserve the identities of children who are too young to remember their real names. Her situation becomes more precarious when her cohorts are betrayed and a fellow forger disappears.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>