Donna

In ‘Mission Churchill' Marcus Riley, an IRA assassin is unrelenting in his pursuit of Winston Churchill from the streets of Cuba to Chequers. Walter Thompson, Churchill's bodyguard, is equally steadfast in his protection of the Prime Minister.

This is a well told story. I enjoyed the array of characters and the tense cat and mouse game between the two men kept me interested.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Searching for Van Gogh. I was admittedly drawn to this title because of the cover art, and to realize that that scene was an important part added to my overall appreciation.

Nate and Audrey are an unlikely friend pair. They meet not long after the death of Nate's older brother and Audrey is suffering her own loss. One of them is more worldly, the other is more innocent. Nate and Audrey learn much about life over their albeit short friendship.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I read a good amount of alternate history, and “The Wages of Sin” by Harry Turtledove is probably the best of the genre I've read lately.

By the mid nineteenth century older girls and women are secluded in their homes. When they need to go outside they wear shapeless garments that cover their bodies and faces. They can't go anywhere on their own. They can't meet other people or socialize in public. Such strict rules were brought about in an attempt to stop the spread of The Wasting (HIV).

Viola and Peter are two young people matched by their parents. When Peter goes to university to study law, Viola stays home (the women always stay home) but finds ways to be productive. Their courtship happens via post as they share truths about themselves.

This was an enjoyable, if tense, read. With each new chapter I felt dread that I might read of one character or another showing signs of infection, and felt that something menacing was only a page turn away. I still have concerns.

This would be a great book to sit and discuss with those who have read history, law, religion, and sociology.

The Darkness Knows is a prime example of how to write Icelandic Noir.
An unsolved case that has long troubled Inspector Konrad is reopened when the body of a missing man is discovered in the melting ice of a glacier. The death was not accidental. Thirty years have passed since the disappearance, and Konrad has never completely stepped away from the case. Now retired, Konrad begins an unofficial investigation. Former friends and associates of the deceased are interviewed. Old memories come to the surface. Forgotten conversations are recalled.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. The resolution was not expected, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This was a delightful, easy read.

The presence of the Holmes' (Sherlock and Mary Russell) is requested by Queen Marie of Romania. The elegant beauty has received threats against her young daughter. Transylvania has a long history of problems with strigoi (vampires to you and me) and it is up to Mary and Sherlock to figure out who is making the threats, why they are making them, and what they are willing to do to carry them out. Along the way there are rumors of witches, people back from the dead, and just a little involvement from Mycroft.

I've not read the previous books in this series and there was no confusion in following anything. I plan to pick up the first one in the series to see what I have missed.

I recommend this to anyone who would like some Holmsian entertainment.

Monsters aren't born - they're made.
They are the sum total of all that happened to them.

Now we know where President Snow's journey into monster-dom began.

We first meet Snow as a more or less typical kid concerned with school, friends, getting into college ... he may not be entirely likable, but he is just a kid. A kid who already has his eye set on becoming President.

What happens in the pages of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes are the first few steps into what created the monster who eventually ruled Panem.

The Necklace by Matt Witten

Susan Lentigo is setting out on a journey from the Adirondacks to North Dakota to witness the execution of the man who raped and murdered Amy, her young daughter, twenty years ago.

Susan and Amy made a necklace with colorful beads just days before the murder. Amy loved the necklace and wore it constantly, vowing to never take it off. The convicted murderer, a man Susan calls The Monster, had confessed to the crime. While there was an admission of guilt Amy's necklace was never found.

Susan's trip starts badly. She abandons plans of driving her old car and must take a bus. She meets some friendly people, others not so. Money is lost, hope nearly is. Susan is focused on one goal, and that is to get to North Dakota in time for the execution.

With little else to do on her bus ride, Susan thinks about the days surrounding the murder. Conversations with police and FBI investigators, neighbors, family, and friends are revisited. The missing necklace is always on her mind.

Despite herself, Susan begins to wonder if The Monster is truly responsible for Amy's murder. The closer she gets to North Dakota and the execution, the more doubt she has.

I enjoyed the book, and the latter half was simply unputdownable. Several times I felt as if I were watching a slow-motion crash. I couldn't look away, even though the suspense in a couple spots was palpable.

Lucy Holland's “Song of the Huntress” grabbed my attention from the first couple pages and and held it firmly until the last.

Queen Æthelburg and Herla of the Wild Hunt are the sort of characters I enjoy reading about. They are both strong women who know what they want, know what they need to do, and know when something has to give.

The writing is poetic and descriptions are vivid. Action scenes are well thought out and emotional reactions are described beautifully.

I've not yet read “Sister Song” by the same author, but since reading this one, I did purchase it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Song of the Huntress” in return for an honest review.

Dual timelines, pirates and the possibility of treasure all come together beautifully in ‘A True Account: Hannah Masury's Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself'.

After seeing pirates hanged, Hannah surprisingly ends up a hand on a pirate ship. Learning the ropes, weathering storms, and trying to keep her female identity secret keep Hannah on her toes.

Professor Marian Beresford leads a somewhat sedate life. When she is presented with evidence of a journal by a previously unknown female pirate she can't help but want to look for her own treasure.

This was a fun book, a great way to start off my 2024 reads.