The Book Whisperer Recommends Yet Another Mystery by Will Thomas

As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I am reading as many of Will Thomas’s fourteen published mysteries as I can before he visits my book club in early Oct. That means I have had to forgo my penchant for reading books in a series in order! I just finished book thirteen, Fierce Poison. After reading Dance With Danger, I wanted to know more about Sarah Fletcher, the female detective Barker and Llewelyn sometimes hire to help them in their investigations. As a long-time fan of the Masie Dobbs’ series by Jacqueline Winspear, I wanted to know if Thomas intended to develop Sarah Fletcher more fully in subsequent novels.

In Fierce Poison, Sarah Fletcher does reappear, but not quite in the capacity I expected. I will leave it to readers to discover the rest.

Often, Barker and Llewelyn find themselves in danger in their investigations. In Fierce Poison, not only are the two principal enquiry agents in extreme danger, but the danger extends to others working with them, Llewelyn’s wife Rebecca, and Barker’s dog Harm. The danger? Poisons of different kinds! Poison makes it difficult to fight the offender because he/she is using a variety of poisons: cyanide, digitalis, and nicotine, for example. The killer, who becomes known as the Mad Pie Man, also booby-traps Barker and Llewelyn’s office and home. Besides targeting Fitzhugh, Barker, Llewelyn, and their immediate cohorts, the Mad Pie Man also succeeds in killing several other people, including an entire poor family. Barker and Llewelyn must figure out what connects these deaths and attempted murders.

By using poisons, the killer could be putting the substance into food, drink, even face powder as Llewelyn points out to Rebecca.

The story begins when Roland Fitzhugh, a member of Parliament, enters the Barker and Llewelyn Enquiry Agency and almost immediately falls dead on the floor. His last words were “help me!” Barker takes that to mean he and Llewelyn MUST discover who has killed Fitzhugh and why.  Even former prime minister William Gladstone is part of the story. When Barker and Llewelyn question Gladstone, he insists they send him their bill once they have solved the murder of Fitzhugh.

Readers will find Fierce Poison a compelling story. Readers already familiar with Barker and Llewelyn and their tales will enjoy seeing this story unfold, especially hoping that the principals will survive the poison attacks!

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Fascinating Story of Deception

Although I tell myself I need to move away, however briefly, from WWII historical fiction, I usually am unable to stick to my plan because a book will come along that demands my attention. The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull is just that book!

Turnbull gives readers Sophie Dix and Fabienne Brandt who work together to create masterful art forgeries to save the originals. Fabienne, now widowed, was married to Sophie’s brother. The two women have been estranged, but to save precious art, deemed degenerate by the Nazis, Sophie and Fabienne decide to work together at great risk to save the artwork by creating forgeries.

The forgeries are then passed off as the originals while Sophie and Fabienne squirrel away the originals. Clearly, the dangers to both women are real and substantial. Turnbull has created a story that challenges readers as well as the two main characters.

Sophie has much to hide besides her work on the forgeries. She and her brother had left Germany with forged papers declaring them as citizens of Switzerland. She has to pretend that she doesn’t speak German, but, of course, that skill will prove beneficial to her as she and Fabienne work to save the paintings. When Sophie is invited to return to work at the Jeu de Paume, she is surprised. Her friend Rose will serve as curator under the Nazi guidance, and Rose is rehiring some of her previous staff, including Sophie.

Rose tells Sophie, “I know I am asking something very difficult of you, but this is an opportunity. Can’t you see that?” Little does Sophie know what an opportunity working at Jeu de Paume will provide, especially once she brings Fabienne into her plan of creating the forgeries.

As Turnbull notes in her “Author Note” at the end of The Paris Deception, Sophie and Fabienne are fictional characters. Still, Turnbull has told an important story through the historical fiction about saving art during WWII. Turnbull’s research is evident throughout the story as she also creates a moving picture of people’s lives during the war and the resistance.

For book clubs, The Paris Deception will provide members with much to discuss: relationships, danger, the artwork itself, and art theft by the Nazis. For me personally, I found the story fascinating and difficult to put down.

The Book Whisperer Continues to Be Enthralled With Barker & Llewelyn

I do like to read a series in the order of publication. However, I was unable to get the third book in the series by Will Thomas, so I skipped ahead to book 12 of 14: Dance With Death. I am going back to read the books I missed, but I must write about Dance With Death now. By this time in the relationship between Barker and Llewelyn, much has happened.

Llewelyn has risen in the private enquiry agency to partner. Not only that, but he is also married. I also like the introduction of a female sleuth who has separate offices near Barker’s, but she is someone Barker and Llewelyn employ from time to time. I enjoyed the rise in her circumstances in the story.

Without giving anything away about the story itself, I will say that reading this series by Thomas also provides readers with a glimpse of history in Victorian England. In Dance With Death, for example, Queen Victoria’s second son, George, is getting married. Nicholas II, who expects to be the next Tsar, is in London for the Royal wedding. However, there are credible threats against his life. He, of course, has his own protection, but are all of the guards to be trusted?

Thrown into the mix is Nicholas’s mistress, the famous ballerina, Mathilde Kchessinska. She, also, is in London and hopes to spend time with Nicholas. However, she is also a volatile mistress who believes Nicholas should be hers regardless of his father’s plan to marry Nicholas to a more suitable woman. Even she makes threats against Nicholas: “If I can’t have him, no one can.” And she owns a gun!

So, does Nicholas face more danger from his own guards or from Mathilde? Or is there more afoot? Thomas includes other real historical figures in Dance With Death. At the end of the book, readers will find brief explanations about those people along with what happens to them following the deaths of the Tsar and his family.

To untangle the threats and protect Nicholas, Barker and Llewelyn have their work cut out for them. Readers of the series will know that the two are ultimately capable of doing their job and doing it well.

The Book Whisperer Recommends To Kingdom Come!

To follow up in reading more of the Barker and Llewlyn series by Will Thomas, I chose To Kingdom Come, the second book in the series. The title is appropriate because the story opens with violence when a bomb obliterates Scotland Yard’s newly d established Special Irish Branch. The bomb reaches Cyrus Barker’s neatly planned office as well since it is very near Scotland Yard.

Clearly, the culprits must be the Irish dissidents who seek to keep the Special Irish Branch from discovering any other planned attacks. Or is that the case? As with any good mystery, the author seeks to provide clues for readers, but there must also be surprises, unexpected occurrences and information.

With the blessing of Scotland Yard, Cyrus Barker, ever inventive, chooses to go undercover to infiltrate a secret cell of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Of course, Thomas Llewelyn, Barker’s assistant, must also play someone else. Barker becomes a German bomb maker and Llewelyn is his assistant.

Obviously, some danger is involved in this new operation too. Barker and Llewelyn must remain in character to keep up their ruse.  They must also demonstrate their skill in making bombs, which will mean detonating at least one to convince the group of their abilities.

Once again, Thomas leads readers through a fast-paced story, introducing captivating characters. Readers will enjoy learning more about both Barker and Llewelyn, especially Llewelyn’s growth in his role as Barker’s assistant.

In the end, the truth will be discovered. That’s the beauty of a good mystery!

The Book Whisperer Highly Recommends Some Danger Involved

My book club will have the distinct pleasure of hosting author Will Thomas in Oct. To prepare for the visit, I reread Some Danger Involved, the first in the series. The book introduces Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, private enquiry agents. When I discover a series, I like to start with the first one because it gives readers the background on the main characters. As the series progresses, readers continue to learn about the characters as they develop and grow.  I try to follow the series in order, but sometimes I deviate.

Thomas Llewelyn is down on his luck. Recently out of prison for a crime he did not commit, Thomas has no money and no place to live. Thomas sees an advertisement for a job as an assistant with the ominous note in it: “some danger involved.”

Thomas applies for the job, and, to his surprise, he gets the job. The job is with Cyrus Barker, a well-known private enquiry agent in London. Cyrus begins training Thomas immediately. Thomas is bright and eager to learn, catching on to the work quickly.

Soon after Thomas is hired, Cyrus takes a job to discover who has murdered a young Jewish man in a cruel and unusual way: crucified. The story delves into the underworld of Victorian London.

The characters readers meet through Barker and Llewelyn’s investigation are truly memorable. The twists in the plot also keep readers turning pages. Some Danger Involved is an excellent beginning to a stellar series.

The Book Whisperer Insists You Read The Wishing Game!

As a fan of found families in novels, I seek out such stories. When I chose The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, I did not have that theme in mind. I simply wanted to read a magical story, and I did! The Wishing Game is Meg Shaffer’s debut novel. While it may have some flaws, I certainly cannot give any attention to them because of the beauty of the characters and the story.

Jack Masterson is a wildly popular children’s author who has hit a dry spell. He has not written a new book in six years, and his fans clamor for a new one. Children are his biggest fans, but many adults who grew up reading his stories have more than fond memories of the stories and how those stories affected them in their youth. One such adult is Lucy Hart, a kindergarten aide.

Lucy encounters Christopher Lamb as the teacher’s aide in Christopher’s class. Lucy falls in love with the little boy who has suffered such loss. He discovered his parents dead from a drug overdose. The trauma has, understandably, left him damaged. Lucy spends time with him and wishes she could become his foster mother and eventually adopt him. Lucy herself suffered trauma as a child, so she understands how much love and tender care Christopher needs.

The odds are stacked against Lucy’s being able to foster Christopher, however, because of Lucy’s student debt, inadequate living conditions, and lack of a car.  She also has a low-paying job. The two play a wishing game, hoping that one day circumstances will change.

When Jack Masterson lets his public know he has written a new book, his fans are eager to see it published. Masterson, however, has devised a game and invited four players to Clock Island, his home and retreat. The four will compete by solving Jack’s riddles. The winner will receive the book. The winner can then publish the book and reap the rewards from its sale. Jack chooses four adults who, as children, ran away from home, and came to Clock Island looking for their hero, Jack Masterson. Lucy was one of those children; each one was trying to escape a difficult home life.

The story involves a bit of magic and a willing suspension of disbelief. I am the kind of reader who falls into a story and feels along with the characters. The Wishing Game is a mesmerizing story with heart. The end will surprise and enthrall readers.

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Story of Two Witches

I truly enjoy stories that use a dual point of view. That technique often gives readers a more complete picture of events than a story told through one narrator. The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iverson gives readers a story told by sisters Kaija and Minna.

Kaija and Minna grow up in the woods of Norway, raised by their grandmother because their mother was burned as a witch. When the grandmother dies, the two girls begin to realize how different they are from one another. Kaiji is much kinder than Minna and decides she is tired of living hidden away in a dark forest. Minna, on the other hand, sees herself as a witch and always feels a sense of anger and rage bubbling within her.

Feeling betrayed when Kaija leaves, Minna unleashes her fury. Little does she know that she is setting in motion a fatal action that will have widespread repercussions. Readers will find insight through the two sisters’ stories. How do those stories intertwine? What will be the result of Minna’s curse? Will the two sisters be able to reconcile, or will the differences coupled with the curse be too great to overcome?

The Book Whisperer Enjoys a Picture Book

Lauren O’Hara, illustrator and Natalia O’Hara, writer

As an eclectic reader, I enjoy reading books for all ages. Recently, I discovered sisters Natalia and Lauren O’Hara who wrote and illustrated Hortense and The Shadow. Natalia is the writer, and Lauren is the illustrator.

Hortense and the Shadow is a delightful picture book. There are a few scary moments balanced by goodness. The illustrations are beautifully done with muted colors. Hortense and the Shadow will delight parents and children alike.

The Book Whisperer Discovers a Story of a Relationship Built on Secrets

I was privileged to receive an advance copy of The Book of Silver Linings by Nan Fischer, courtesy of BookTrib. The book will be published 15 Aug 2023. I was immersed in the story immediately. Constance Sparks, the main character, is a paralegal working for a large law firm alongside her best friend Mars. Constance is also a fanatical dog lover and wishes she could save all dogs (and some cats) so that they have forever homes. Because of her love for animals, she works at a shelter that tries its best to find homes for all the animals rather than resorting to euthanasia.

When she attends a Scrabble date night for singles, Constance meets Hayden. Some of the first words played on the board that evening include love, ring, fate, but liar is also played that evening. Hmmm. Constance and Hayden soon become quite an item, and Hayden invites Constance to move in with him even though she will bring two rescue dogs she is trying to rehome, and Hayden is allergic to animals. Their relationship moves rapidly from living together to Hayden’s proposal that they marry.

Hayden gives Constance a beautiful antique ring that is worth a great deal of money. Constance delves into the ring’s history to see if she can find out about the person for whom it was made during WWI. In doing research at the library, Constance discovers letters from James, a WWI soldier, who falls in love with a nurse also serving during the war. The ring was meant for her.

As Constance reads the letters James wrote, she, on impulse, writes a letter about what she is feeling and slips it into the book. To her surprise, she finds a letter signed “J” when she returns for her next visit at the library. These letters are kept in the special collections, and one must check them out, read them in the library under supervision, and return them to their storage place. Who but the long-dead James could be replying to Constance? In the letters, Constance expresses her concerns about her speedy engagement and about Hayden’s secrecy about his past and his family from whom he says he is estranged.

While I enjoyed the story, I do have a problem with both Constance and Hayden and finally with Mars, Constance’s BEST friend. They all have secrets which will ultimately destroy the engagement and possibly the long friendship between Constance and Mars. Constance and Mars, however, have a better chance of restoring their friendship because of its longevity. I felt it was completely dishonest of Constance to be suspicious of Hayden and to try to discover his secrets behind his back while she is hiding some extremely toxic information about her own life.

Of course, with secrets, readers know that, in time, the secrets will rise to the top. Often, the secrets will be revealed at a very inopportune time, and the people involved will be devastated. What will happen between Constance and Hayden who seem right for each other? Constance continues to have doubts. She also allows Hayden to call the shots, so to speak, and to consider her own needs to be secondary to his. That does not indicate a healthy relationship which, one would hope, would be a matter of give and take.

Will Constance and Hayden find happiness, or will they call their engagement off? Will Constance find the real writer of J’s letters? Will that person be significant? These are all questions readers will want answered! And, in truth, the answers will be forthcoming. Readers will discover a satisfying ending. Book club members will be discussing relationships and what constitutes a healthy relationship. They will also explore secrets in a relationship and what those secrets tend to create. Family is also an important part of the story and will yield a good discussion. Animal lovers will want to weigh in on the shelter and its importance to Constance and others.

The Book Whisperer Discovers Yet Another Page-Turner

Occasionally, I discover a book so engrossing that I am unable to put it down. The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James is just the book to keep readers turning pages. Other reviewers use words like “lush,” “atmospheric,” and “bewitching.” I can agree on all of those words and would add the story completely cloaks the readers in a mystery.

What more could readers ask for than a horror movie being made on location in a medieval castle outside of Rome? Silvia Whitford, aspiring actress, arrives in Rome to make her name in a movie. Sadly, she learns the movie has been canceled. In desperation, she reaches out to an elderly aunt whom she has never met. Her aunt lives in Italy.

Silvia’s new opportunity arises when she is cast in a horror movie. When Silvia disappears, the mystery deepens because reality begins to mirror the fictional horror script.

Readers will not be disappointed in this page-turner. For book clubs, mysteries are often not effective choices because once the mystery is solved, there is little to discuss. In The Woman in the Castello, however, there are other topics to discuss: family lore, family secrets, estrangement, ghosts, and present-day terrors.