Raybourn’s “Lady Julia Gray” novels are fun little mysteries with quirky characters who find themselves in situations that are often fairly dark. The juxtaposition of entitled Victorian British gentry and crimes of depravity creates a nice balance of grit and wit. The books center on Lady Jane Grey, her eccentric family, the half gypsy but fully rogue, detective Nicholas Brisbane, and various quirky and potentially murderous characters. In “Silent on the Moor”, Lady Jane Grey, her sister, Portia, and their brother, Valerius, serving as reluctant chaperone, […]
Before and After the Fire.
This book has a lot to unpack. While reading, I noted several quotes that I thought might be useful for writing the review. Looking at them now, I made note of them because each was an amazing little bundle of sentences. Some of the bundles were laugh out loud funny. Some of the bundles were eviscerating. Some were just things most of us think, don’t say out loud, but wish some one would. Eleanor Oliphant is all of these things. She is amusing without trying […]
Forensic science of the whole person.
I had a revelation after reading this book. In mystery novels, the problem that needs to be solved is never as interesting to me as the problem solvers. Winspear’s first in her “Maisie Dobbs” series splits problem and problem solver in a way that made that clear to me. Is that common? I’m pretty sure that is why, when asked if I enjoy mystery novels, I generally say no, but my read list on Goodreads tells a different tale. Maisie Dobbs is the only child […]
Keep the Window Open, Wendy.
I’ll be writing many reviews of this fine lady’s work. Her Veronica Speedwell books (new one this month, superfans!!!) were my gateway and I devoured the first two of the Lady Julia Grey books (3rd one ready to go in the bedside library pile). After doing some Goodreads snooping, I discovered she had several books set in the 1920’s so I scooped up and loooooved “Spears of Grass” (So atmospheric. Wonderful saucy heroine and roguish bush pilot word sparring in the wilds of Africa. But […]