The Botanist's Assistant - Peggy Townsend's Latest...Get Your Copy!

The Botanist's Assistant is Peggy Townsend's latest and my first one by this author. Let me assure you that it will NOT be my last! The story centers around Margaret Finch. Margaret is a 54-year old, 6' tall, and big-boned woman. She lives by herself in a cabin in the woods and, when she's not at work, focuses her attention on her numerous plants. When she is at work, she acts as the long-time assistant to a well-known botanist in his lab. That's pretty much her whole life. She doesn't really have any friends, and that is okay with her. So what is this story about, you ask?

Well, there is a death in the department that she works in, and Margaret is determined to find out what happened. The university that they all work for is calling it death by natural causes. Margaret is not buying that. Hence Margaret turns into an amateur detective.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's not only a mystery that I was not able to solve(!). But it's also very well-written. Let me give you just two examples of comparisons that grabbed me and made me smile:

A professor in the department thinks that he is an equal to her boss. Margaret thinks: "...that was like equating a rare Egyptian vase with kindergartner's Play-Doh bowl." And when Margaret is snooping around and suddenly has to hide, we read: "She drops to her knees and scuttles behind the sofa like a cockroach seeking shelter from a smacking broom." I think we can all visualize what the author is saying. And, believe me, there are many more descriptive clauses throughout the book.

Are you looking for a fun read that will captivate you and keep you guessing? And is Margaret Finch a character that we want to see again? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding YES!   

In the Light of the Sun, by Angela Shupe - Historical Fiction at Its Best!

Let me start off by saying that In the Light of the Sun is a terrific book. Not only is it an easy 5/5, but it’s also Shupe’s debut novel. It is quite an accomplishment!

 

This is historical fiction at its best. The book starts in 1941. Caramina Grassi is a young girl who lives in the Philippines with her father and all of her siblings, except for her older sister, Rosa, who is in Florence, studying to be an opera singer. Rosa lives with her grandmother, who was once a renowned opera singer herself. Caramina, too, hopes that one day she will also be in Italy, preparing to be an opera singer like her sister and grandmother…and then WWII hit!

 

The story delves into the hardships that Caramina, Rosa, and their family members face in their respective countries. As you would expect in a book based on a world war, the Grassis endure hardships in both countries. There is love and there are tragedies.

 

Will Rosa become an opera singer? Will Caramina get any closer to following in her sister’s footsteps? Will the family members survive? You will need to read In the Light of the Sun to get answers.  

The View from Lake Como, by Adriana Trigiani

The View from Lake Como is Adriana’s 22nd novel. And this will be my…1st read! It’s amazing that such a popular author, whose first novel came out in 2000, has escaped my reading clutches until now! Well, no more I say! I enjoyed TVfLC. It’s fiction with some romance thrown in. Here’s a brief description of the storyline:

 

Jess Capodimonte Baratta lives in Lake Como, New Jersey. She is in her early 30s and is recently divorced from the local heartthrob. She lives in the basement of her parents’ home and works for her uncle in his marble business. Despite being heavily involved in the business and with her large Italian family, she finds herself, due to unexpected circumstances, moving to the other Lake Como, this one in Italy. There she spends lots of time with more members of her family and discovers some secrets that will greatly impact her life. 

 

Will she ever go back to New Jersey? Will she find her first love interest since her divorce? Will she find herself? You will obviously learn about all of this when you read The View from Lake Como. 

The Grave Artist, by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

Last year I reviewed Fatal Intrusion, which is Book 1 in the Sanchez & Heron Series. And I told you how much I liked the book, and why. Well, now Deaver and Maldonado have written Book 2 in the series. And it’s called The Grave Artist. It is due to hit the bookshelves on September 9. Does it fall off, as book 2’s often do? Or does it continue what the authors accomplished with Fatal Intrusion? I am VERY happy to report that it’s the latter! This one grabs us from page 1 and captivates and engrosses us through its conclusion!

 

The storyline is also very unique. There is a serial killer who targets newlyweds. He kills one and then relishes the pain and suffering of the surviving member. And, once again, federal agent Carmen Sanchez and private security expert Jake Heron are taxed with finding the killer. But there’s another little twist this time. The “Honeymoon Killer,” as he is dubbed, is coming after Carmen and Jake! What the heck? Doesn’t he know they aren’t newlyweds (or even married)?

 

Much like Book 1, the writing is terrific, and the suspense is killer (sorry for the pun). When you finish The Grave Artist, I’m sure you will ask yourself the same thing I asked myself…When do we get Book 3?! 

Kristina McMorris Does It Again!

Kristina McMorris definitely knows how to write historical fiction! Ever since I read her Sold on a Monday, I have been a big fan. Her latest, The Girls of Good Fortune, focuses on Portland, OR in the late 1800s. The story centers on a young woman who is half-Chinese and works as a maid for a prominent family. Circumstances send her to live in a bordello where she is tasked with doing odd jobs. When she learns about the massacre of Chinese miners in the Wyoming Territory, and after also learning about the death of her Chinese father, she is committed to helping bring to justice to the men that committed the massacre.

There is a lot more to this book than just what I've mentioned above. I don't want to give anything away, but...there might be a love interest; maybe an escape from a very difficult situation; and possibly...nope, that's all I am willing to tell you. With all of the twists and turns and surprises, you need to read The Girls of Good Fortune to find out what happens. And get this - Kristina will be conducting a virtual tour of the Shanghai Tunnels, where much of the action takes place, on June 10, at 4:00pst. All you have to do is pre-order her book before the pub date of May 20. I can't wait to see it!

My First Mystery from Abbi Waxman - One Death at a Time

As the title indicates, One Death at a Time is my 1st Abbi Waxman mystery. It combines a whodunit with the movie industry. You can't beat that combo! Julia Mann is a veteran ex-actress who is accused of killing a man she found in her swimming pool (she's already been in jail once before for murder!). Now she needs to clear her name and ends up partnering with her sobriety sponsor from AA, who she really wants nothing to do with. Does it all make sense?

Abbi does a very good job of of holding our interest and making sure we really don't know whodunit! She brings in a lot of characters, who all play a part in determining who the killer really is (could it actually be Julia?). And, at the same time, we get a look at the inside workings of Hollywood. It's a fun read with a very intriguing protagonist. I think I might need to check out other Abbi Waxman books.

Another Great Mystery from Hannah Jayne - we did nothing wrong

Even though I am, let’s say, a few years older than the YA characters in Hannah Jayne’s mysteries, I still enjoy the heck out of them. It’s not about the age of the characters. It’s about: Is the book well-written?…and does the mystery keep you guessing?…and do you care about the protagonists? I’ve a big fat YES to all 3 of those questions!

A very quick synopsis: Lia and Diana are long-time best friends and very popular in high school. But there’s been a recent build-up where they are going in different directions. One very late school night, they are scheduled to meet up at a nearby park, which they have been doing for years. Only this time, Lia is late - you’ll have to read the book to find out why - and when she gets there, Diana is gone. Why isn’t she there? Is it Lia’s fault? You know what you have to do to get answers to these, and many other, questions.

The only very small giveaway I will give you is…nah, I changed my mind. All I will say is that the tension grows and grows. Once you start we did nothing wrong, you will not want to put it down. Get your copy stat!

Come Fly with Me, by Camille Di Maio - a MUST Read!

Do you remember back in February when I reviewed Becoming Madam Secretary? And I told you that it was my 3rd 4/4 of 2025? Well, I've got #4 for you. And this one is a doozy. Come Fly with Me, by Camille di Maio, tells the story of 2 women, with very different backgrounds, who become Pan Am stewardesses (the name used back then) in 1962. This is historical fiction at its best.  

I had so many emotional reactions while I read CFwM that I'm still feeling them. Here's just a sample:

"Oh, s__t!"

"Finally!"

"Oh, no!" (said twice)

Raised eyebrows

Quite a few tears

There are also quite a few very descriptive clauses that had a lot of impact on me. I will only quote 2:

If a handshake were a hug, this is what it would feel like.

It's not often that you're given a seat to someone's metamorphosis.

See what I mean? And there's a lot more where those came from.

This is just an absolutely terrific book from cover-to-cover. It is no accident (or surprise) that Amazon has a rating of 4.5/5 (I'm still old school and use a maximum 4 rating), and Goodreads is 4.35/5. And if I'm being honest, I would actually rate Come Fly with Me a 4/4+!

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Looking for Jane, by Heather Marshall - Read It!

Looking for Jane, by Heather Marshall, is a very good and very interesting read.  It's listed as historical fiction for a very good reason. It goes as far back as 1960 and as far forward as 2017.  And it centers on abortion in Canada, both before it became legal and after.  It focuses on three women with very different stories and how they are connected.  It's a fascinating look at the abortion issue.  And even though it takes place in Canada, many Americans obviously can relate to what these fictional women went through.  Canada's abortion law went into effect in 1969.  And Roe v. Wade was 1973.  Of course Roe was overturned in 2022, leaving it up to each state to create its own set of laws.

It doesn't hurt that Heather picked such an interesting subject for her novel.  Anybody who reads Looking for Jane is going to feel what these women all went through.  But it doesn't hurt that the book is also very well written.  it captures your attention from page 1.  I mean, after all, 4.36/5 on Goodreads, with almost 60,000 ratings!  And get this...her 2nd book, The Secret History of Audrey James, which came out in June of last year, has a rating of 4.40/5 with over 2,000 ratings!  After reading LfJ, I know I'm going to get my hands on TSHoAJ. 

Well, I'm back with another book review.  This one is my 3rd 4/4 in 2025!  I am on a some kind of hot streak!  But let me get to it. Becoming Madam Secretary, by Stephanie Dray, is an amazing story. It's all about the first female cabinet member.  Frances Perkins was picked by FDR to be his Secretary of Labor when he officially became president in early 1933.  We learn that right at the beginning of the book.  Then Stephanie goes back to 1909 and gives us Frances' background.  We learn about her husband and his difficulties, her pregnancies, her path that led to her appointment.  And, later, we learn about everything she did as Labor Secretary.  We see how being a woman affected her job and her ability to get things done.  We learn a lot about FDR and Eleanor.  it could NOT have been more interesting.

This is not a short book.  it comes in at 500 pages.  But, boy, did I get through it quickly.  I picked it up every available minute.  And, like any good historical fiction, we find out in the author notes which characters were fictional and which were real.  I have to say that these author notes were particularly interesting.

So far I've only read one other book by Stephanie Dray.  It's called The Women of Chateau Lafayette.  And it was also a 4/4!  I need to get off my keister and read more...and I will!  In the meantime, please read Becoming Madam Secretary.  I can't wait for Stephanie to Zoom in to our book club in May!

 

Big Event at Beyond Text!

Beyond Text, the new bookstore in downtown Los Gatos, is having a big event the weekend of March 22 and 23. Each day, from 2-4, there will be 3 authors discussing how they became authors, answering audience questions, and signing books. Don't miss it! It's located at 318 N. Santa Cruz Avneue. And the phone number is (925) 660-9336.

Silent Are the Dead - Book #2 from D.M. Rowell

D.M. Rowell's 1st book, Never Name the Dead, was my 1st exposure to the Native American Kiowa tribe. And it was fascinating. Well, now we've got a second book in the series. It's called Silent Are the Dead. Mae Sawpole, whose Kiowa nickname is "Mud," comes back to her tribe in Oklahoma, where she grew up, to help preserve an important Peace Medal (from Thomas Jefferson!). She has a flight back to Silicon Valley the next day, where her tech company is preparing for a huge event that will catapult Mae's company to the next level. The only problem is that "Mud," and her cousin Denny, become aware of fracking on Kiowa land, along with more efforts to steal precious artifacts, and...oh, yeah, a murder! Mud and Denny have about 12 hours to resolve these issues before Mud has to catch a flight back to Northern California in order to be there for her life-changing business event! Besides D.M. writing a very good mystery, it's also really interesting to learn so much about the Kiowa tribe and its language and traditions. I know we learned a lot in Never Name the Dead. But it's great to be reminded of what we already learned and then to learn even more! We all have 24/7 exposure to what we already know. I'm glad that both books remind us that there are other traditions that we may not know much about and that take us out of our own heads for a little while. Thank you, D.M. Keep 'em comin'!

Call Me Carmela by Ellen Kirschman - Another Winner!

Ellen Kirschman has a long and storied career as a clinical psychologist, interacting often with police and fire departments.  And she has written a number of books designed to teach both professionals and family members how to deal with the stress associated with these careers.  Fortunately for the rest of us, Ellen decided to write novels based on an Ellen Kirschman-like character.  Her name is Dot Meyerhoff, and she is a police psychologist.  Call Me Carmela is #5 in the series.  

All of her Dot books are good.  This one is a little different than the others.  Dot's very close friend, Fran, is the godmother of an adopted girl, who is now eighteen and wants to find her birth parents.  Because of Dot's relationship with Fran, who is also a police widow, Dot decides to help Ava in her search.  You will be very interested to see how this affects Ava's adoptive parents.  And there will, of course, be a number of police veterans as part of the story.

As usual, Ellen makes you feel for the main character in the story along with a few of the others.  In this case it's Ava as well as Ava's adoptive parents and several others.  You will definitely have to read Call Me Carmela to see who these "several others" are.  I'm not going to tell you.  And after you read CMC, and if you haven't read her first four, you might want to pick those up too.

Dugoni Is On Fire!!!

  

I have read many, many historical fiction novels in my many, many years of reading.  But Hold Strong, by authors Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree, is unlike any other.  It’s the story of a young man, Sam, and a young woman, Sarah, who are very committed to each other and who live in a very small town in Minnesota.  When the United States enters WWII, Sam joins the army.  A large part of the story is the years of captivity for Sam in the Philippines under Japanese rule.  At the same time, Sarah joins the WAVES and becomes a code breaker.  This is her story too.

 

Both storylines are fascinating.  But what Sam has to endure is mind-blowing.  Some of it is so unbelievable that you might think the authors made it up.  If you ever think that, then just go to the Afterword and the 90(!) pages of footnotes, and you will see that only the characters are fictional.  My hat goes off to the three authors of Hold Strong.  They researched the heck out of events from 80+ years ago.  We readers definitely did not “enjoy” a lot of what we read.  But we were never sorry we read it.

 

If you are into history like I am, then I know you will be glad you read Hold Strong.  If you aren’t…you will still be very glad you read this amazing book. 

 

 

Robert Dugoni and Keera Duggan, #2 in the Series

Back on October 21, I reviewed Robert Dugoni's new series, starring a Seattle attorney named Keera Duggan.  I told you how much I enjoyed it.  Well, I just finished Book #2 in the series, Beyond Reasonable Doubt.  And, not surprisingly, I was as captivated with this one as I was with #1, Her Deadly Game.  BRD is another great combination of behind-the-scenes action with Keera, her family, her client, and the events leading up to the trial.  Her client in this case is a young woman, Jenna, who started a company that touted its medical findings and how they would save lives.  As you might have guessed, things don't go smoothly for Jenna.  And, on top of that, Jenna was a school classmate and friend of Keera's.  Let's just say she was neither the ideal classmate nor friend.

We see a lot of people in Beyond Reasonable Doubt that we saw in Her Deadly Game:  Keera's family (Maggie, Ella, and her dad and legendary trial attorney, Patsy), Frank Rossi, Seattle detective, and JP Harrison, private investigator, among others.  We also get to meet Jenna's partner, Sirus Kohl, and his daughter and corporate counsel, Adria Kohl, as well as Johnson Marshall, judge, Lisa Tanaka, controller, and, of course, Eric Wei (deceased!).  There are even more supporting cast members besides those I just listed!

I admit to being a sucker for a good courtroom battle.  And Bob does a great job of taking his time on the build-up to the trial.  The courtroom drama is mesmerizing.  I couldn't wait to see who would be called to the stand next and how Keera would approach them.  My guess is that you will feel the same.  But the only way you're going to know for sure is if you read Beyond Reasonable Doubt NOW!  And let's hope that there will be a Book #3 in the Keera Duggan series.  Wait...do I see a possible date for...Her Cold Justice...in 2026?  Read #1 and #2 and then prepare for #3.

Footnote:  Like most series, #2 can be read independently of #1. However, it does help to get some background from #1. 

New Authors (for me) and Pages Read in 2024

Here the authors I read in 2024 (not counting those assigned by the publicist) that I have not read before.

PJ Peterson

Kate Evans

Christina Lauren

Jessica Rosenberg

Janie Chang

Kristin Vukovic

Maddie Dawson

Susan Dormady Eisenberg

Monica Wood

Tami Anastasia

Richard Snyder

Erika Montgomery

Jill Fordyce

Jeffrey Deaver/Isabel Maldonado

Victor Method

Pages read - 13,757

 

Top Books of 2024

Here are my top books of 2024.  Out of a maximum of 4.0, I've got 4.0, 3.75, and 3.5.  And, like before, they are listed in the order of my reading them.

4.0 -

Look What You Made Me Do - Erin Gordon

The True Love Experiment - Christina Lauren

The Women - Kristin Hannah

Hold Strong - Robert Dugoni/Jeff Langholz/Chris Crabtree

Last Christmas in Paris - Heather Webb/Hazel Gaynor

3.75 -

A Killing on the Hill - Robert Dugoni

Queens of London - Heather Webb

The Trail of Lost Hearts - Tracey Garvis Graves

Only the Beautiful - Susan Meissner

How to Read a Book - Monica Wood

A Summer to Remember - Erika Montgomery

Hello Stranger - Katherine Center

Fatal Intrusion - Jeffrey Deaver/Isabel Maldonado

3.5

The Phoenix Crown - Janie Chang/Kate Quinn

The Paris Widow - Kimberly Belle

The Cheesemaker's Daughter - Kristin Vukovic

The Incorrigibles - Meredith Jaeger

Let's Pretend This Will Work - Maddie Dawson

Find Me in California - Kerry Lonsdale

Her Deadly Game - Robert Dugoni

Ice Ice Maybe - Rich Amooi

The Silent Watcher - Victor Methos

Tilka Faces the Odds - L.A. Meredith

Books Read in 2024

Here are the 45 books I read in 2024.  The first list is the books I read for our book club or just because.  The 2nd list is the books I read for the publicist that I read and review for.  Both lists are in the order I read them:

One Will too Many - PJ Peterson

A Killing on the Hill - Robert Dugoni

Wanderland - Kate Evans

Look What You Made Me Do - Erin Gordon

The True Love Experiment - Christina Lauren

Queens of London - Heather Webb

Matterhorn - Christopher Reich

Last Dance - Sheldon Siegel

Butter, Sugar & Magic - Jessica Rosenberg

Endless in Love - Jennifer Skully/Bella Andre

The Women - Kristin Hannah

The Phoenix Crown - Janie Chang/Kate Quinn

The Paris Widow - Kimberly Belle

The Treasure of Trenalon - A.R. Silverberry

The Trail of Lost Hearts - Tracey Garvis Graves

Booth - Karen Joy Fowler

Winter Sky - Jenna Starly

The Cheesemaker's Daughter - Kristin Vukovic

Only the Beautiful - Susan Meissner

Rattlesnake - C. Lee McKenzie

The Incorrigibles - Meredith Jaeger

The Haters - Robyn Harding

Let's Pretend This Will Work - Maddie Dawson

One More Seat at the Round Table - Susan Dormady Eisenberg

How to Read a Book - Monica Wood

Essential Strategies for the Dementia Caregivers - Tami Anastasia

Find Me in California - Kerry Lonsdale

Her Deadly Game - Robert Dugoni

Defector in Paradise - Richard Snyder

A Summer to Remember - Erika Montgomery

Hello Stranger - Katherine Center

Belonging - Jill Fordyce

Fatal Intrusion - Jeffrey Deaver/Isabel Maldonado

Hold Strong - Robert Dugoni/Jeff Langholz/Chris Crabtree

Ice Ice Maybe - Rich Amooi

The Silent Watcher - Victor Method

Tilka Faces the Odds - L.A. Meredith

Last Christmas in Paris - Heather Webb/Hazel Gaynor

Publicist Books:

Dream Me Home - Laurie Elizabeth Murphy

Danger Close - Domestic Extremist - #1 Comes Clean - Patrick Byrne

The Mindset of a Dyslexic Entrepreneur - Don Steele

The Angel and the Amazing Life of Maggie Love - C.R. Fabis

All Mortal Greatness: A Novel - Nelson Cover

Tesla's Cottage - Barbara Daddino