Hope to Die by Cara Hunter (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 Title:  Hope to Die

Author:  Cara Hunter

Narrated by:  Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, Roy McMillan

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Audiobook purchased from Amazon.com.  Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the physical copy of the novel.

Do you have any favorite fictional detectives?  I love the classic detectives – Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple, but I always love to find new and fascinating detectives to read about.

Detective Inspector (DI) Fawley and his team are called into a gruesome and puzzling murder scene in Oxford, England.  At a remote home, an elderly man has killed an intruder.  At first it seems like a burglary gone wrong, but as the team investigates further, they discover there is much more to the story.  I loved all the twists and turns, so I am not going to go any further with the summary.

My thoughts on the novel:

·       Hope to Die is the sixth novel in the DI Adam Fawley series.  This was the first book I’ve read in this series, and it worked well as a standalone novel.  I definitely want to go back and read the other books in the series.

·       There is a great list of characters at the start of the book with detailed descriptions of them.  This really helped when you are starting this series six books in.  I could see this helping to refresh one too even if you had read other novels in the series, but it has been a while.

·       This mystery was very twisty and turny.  I kept thinking I knew what was going on, but then the story would take another left turn.

·       There was a fun reference to Thomas Hardy books in this novel which was fun as I am currently reading Far From the Madding Crowd for my Back to the Classics Book Club.

·       Hope to Die was very well written and intriguing to listen to in an audiobook.   I always enjoy the use of different narrators for different viewpoints.

·       Hope to Die was written in a unique format.  Mixed media is used such as case files, interviews, letters, news stories, excerpts from a Netflix special, etc.  There are no chapters, but sections are broken up for readability.

·       The Acknowledgements section has interesting information about a real-life case that inspired this story.  The real-life story has a documentary on Prime Video discussing the case.  I just added it to my “to watch” list.

·       This is a very popular crime procedural series and I’m glad I’ve found it. 

Overall, Hope to Die by Cara Hunter was an intriguing suspense mystery with a complex case and great ending.  I highly recommend this novel.

This book was published on June 11, 2024.

The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you like birds?  Do you enjoy watching them at a bird feeder or do you like them as subjects of art or science?

Elsa Reisner is an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.  She puts together displays of birds including skeletons and taxidermy of birds.  An older lady who has just passed away has left her collection of taxidermy rare birds to the museum. Elsie is sent by her boss to inventory the collection at the estate.  Elsa makes new friends at the estate and together they start a treasure hunt for a missing rare, illuminated manuscript from the middle ages that can help secure the servants’ futures when the estate is sold.  Will they find the manuscript?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is set in 1926.  I loved the descriptions of New York City during this time frame and what a night out on the town for young people would be like.

·       Elsa has a handicapped leg from having polio as a child.  She must work through illness and issues with her handicap.  I thought it added an interesting dimension to the story.

·       I also found Elsa’s job fascinating at the museum.  I learned a lot about being an ornithologist and about birds in general.  It made me really want to visit the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

·       Luke is a World War I veteran and an architectural salvage dealer.  He is working at the estate at the same time as Elsa.  He is still dealing with his own internal issues from the war.

·       I also thought it was interesting that a young girl in the novel, Danielle, displays symptoms of what now would be called autism, but it was not well understood in that time period. 

·       I enjoyed the sweet and clean romance between Elsa and Luke.  The romance was slow burn which is one of my favorite tropes.

·       This novel had an overall theme of forgiveness.

·       There was an interesting discussion of eugenics in the novel.  It was a hot topic during that time period.  The characters all had imperfections, but they were made in the image of God.  I thought this was a powerful theme of the book.

·       I enjoyed the very informative author’s note at the end of the novel.  A lot of the story was based in fact and some of the characters were real people from history.

Overall, The Hudson Collection was a powerful story of forgiveness and acceptance.  I enjoyed the characters, time period, setting, and romance.  It was a unique story, and I would love to read more by this author.

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House Books as part of the AustenprosePR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 BOOK DESCRIPTION

Step into the beguiling world of 1926 New York and discover the power of resilience, friendship, and love from award-winning author Jocelyn Green.

Elsa Reisner's lifelong dream of working as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History is fading as the job begins to drain her passion. But fate takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to catalog the bequest of a recently deceased patron whose Gothic country mansion holds secrets and treasures waiting to be discovered.

As Elsa delves into her task, she forms an unlikely bond with the estate's delightful gardener and her daughter, as well as an architectural salvage dealer who still bears scars from the Great War. Together, they embark on a thrilling treasure hunt for a missing relic intended to safeguard the servants' futures before the estate is sold. At the same time, Elsa's body seems to betray her with new symptoms from a childhood disease that isn't through with her yet.

With the brooding veteran and her handsome colleague joining the search, Elsa must navigate the tangled web of secrets and hidden motives along with the changing state of her health. As her deadline looms ever closer, will she be able to secure a new life for her friends before the estate slips from their grasp?

AUTHOR BIO

Jocelyn Green (JocelynGreen.com) inspires faith and courage as the bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including the Christy Award-winning The Mark of the King and Drawn by the Current and her On Central Park series.

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

 

Title:  Sunrise

Author:  Susan May Warren

Narrated by:  Cynthia Farrell

Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Sunrise or sunset?  I think both are beautiful, but living in Wisconsin on Lake Michigan, the sun rising over Lake Michigan is extraordinary.

I read Sunrise in May for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  I unfortunately missed the book discussion due to work obligations.  Dodge left his hometown of Copper Mountain, Alaska after a huge family fight.  He returned a decade later after his father has an accident.  His old high school girlfriend and center of the family feud, Echo is still in town working as a dogsledder and research guide for the Department of Natural Resources. When one of Echo’s friends and fellow researchers goes missing, will Echo and Dodge be able to find her?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I did enjoy listening to this audiobook during some long drives for work.  The exciting adventure kept me entertained. 

·       Sunrise is part one of the Sky King Ranch novels. 

·       I loved the Alaskan setting.  I always enjoy books set in Alaska and this had the bonus of dogsledding, homesteading, snowmobiles, and grizzly bears.  These are all topics I enjoy reading about.

·       There was a strong element of faith and forgiveness in this novel.

·       I loved the sweet and clean romance between Echo and Dodge.

·       Both Echo and Dodge were strong characters.  I really enjoyed Echo as a tough lady dogsledder. Dodge was a military pilot in his past and now a rescue pilot in Alaska.  It was exciting to read about his flights and near misses. 

·       I would classify this novel as romantic adventure or romantic suspense.

·       It did take me awhile to get into this story.  Once the story got moving, it was a great adventure.

·       Cynthia Farrell was a great narrator.

·       I have put the next book, Sunburst, on my TBR list.  Dodge is a triplet, and the adventure continues in the series with his brothers.

·       Susan May Warren is a popular author at our library, but this is the first book I’ve read by her.  Have you read any of her books?  What do you think?

Overall, if you are looking for a nice, clean and Christian romantic adventure, I recommend Sunrise by Susan May Warren.

Long Haul: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers by Frank Figliuzzi (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @marinerbooks for the review copy of Long Haul by Frank Figliuzzi.

Are you a fan of true crime?  I am and I love to listen to true crime podcasts.  Long Haul is a true crime story by former assistant FBI director Frank Figliuzzi.  The FBI put together the Highway Serial Killer Initiative to hunt for those responsible for 850 homicides across the country that are linked to long haul trucking.

My thoughts on this non-fiction book:

·       There is a great map at the beginning of the book that shows the victim locations.  It visually shows what a real problem this is across the United States.

·       The author interviews long haul truckers and does a ride along to get a sense of the road.  I thought this was very interesting to learn more about long haul trucking in general.

·       The book includes details on trafficking victims and survivors.

·       The book also features how the FBI profiles serial killers.

·       It also specifies the mentality of the victims as well as the predators.

·       I learned that long haul trucking is the most likely occupation for serial killers, which I had never heard of before.

·       The book focused mostly on the overall culture of long-haul trucking and trafficking with short summaries of true crimes that had occurred.

·       Overall, there was a look at truck stop culture, the history of long hauling and how it included the sex trade.  It even detailed very aggressive prostitutes and pimps trying to meet quota by banging on truck windows trying to engage truckers that were sleeping.  Drugs are highly involved in this culture.  It makes it an environment ripe for serial killers.

·       Times have changed and trafficking and the sex trade has gotten higher tech and has moved away from truck stops to meet ups with truckers elsewhere.

·       I learned a lot and I will never look at a truck stop the same way again.

·       This was a short and easy read.

If you are looking for a true crime book to learn about long haul trucking and how it has been used by serial killers in the past and present, Long Haul is an interesting and unique read.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

 

Title: The Ministry of Time

Author:  Kaliane Bradley

Narrated by:  George Weightman and Katie Leung

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 22 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you like movies, books, or shows that feature time travel?  I love them!  The Ministry of Time is a brand-new time travel novel.

An unnamed civil servant works for the new Ministry of Time in London.  She is tasked with helping Graham Gore, an artic explorer from 1847, acclimate to modern times.  The ministry plucked five individuals that were going to die from different time periods and brought them back to London in modern times.  The time travelers form unlikely friendships with each other as well as their handlers.  As the shadowy “general” starts to stalk the time travelers, will they be able to survive in this new time?

My thoughts on the novel:

·       The Ministry of Time is a unique blend of sci-fi, historical fiction, mystery, and romance.

·       Graham Gore is an actual historic figure that was a part of the ill-fated Franklin expedition.  He has a parallel story in the novel narrated by him where he details what happened to him on the expedition.  This matches what is known about the real-life expedition.  A great note at the end discusses Gore.

·       I thought it was interesting that the main character was never named in the novel.  She has mixed heritage with an English father and Cambodian mother.  This brought some depth to her character.  I wanted to learn even more about her.

·       I enjoy that time travel makes one think through many moral and ethical quandaries.  What gives people the right to “save” people from the past from their certain deaths?  Is it really saving them?  What is the correct timeline if time travel keeps changing what happened?  Should you travel back into your own timeline?

·       It was also interesting that the narrator had basically fallen in love with a historical figure that she had researched in the past and then had the chance to meet him and get to know him.  Graham calls her out on it later in the book.

·       Graham and the narrator have a torrid romance towards the end of the novel.  It was slightly awkward to listen to it on audiobook, but luckily, I could skip ahead.

·        It was interesting that the future has different ways it could end.  It’s really a loop from the future to the past that those from the future are trying to alter.

·       I enjoyed the friendship between the time travelers.

Overall, I enjoyed The Ministry of Time.  It was a unique novel with a great story, characters, romance, and mystery.  I felt myself caring for both Graham and the narrator and wishing there was a book two.

 

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters

 

Title: Die for Love

Author:  Elizabeth Peters

Narrated by:  Grace Conlin

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Have you ever been to a fan convention?  I have always wanted to go to one, especially the Jane Austen Society of North America’s (JASNA) conference, but it has not been in the cards for me yet.  I just attend engineering and water quality conferences for work.  Die for Love is set at The Historical Romance Writers of the World conference.

Jaqueline Kirby is the assistant head librarian at Coldwater College in Nebraska.  She has traveled to New York City for the Historical Romance Writers of the World conference.  Jacqueline considers the conference a tax-deductible business expense, but also starts to dabble in romance writing herself.  After a woman is murdered at her table with a poisoned glass of wine, Jaqueline is on the case.  Will she be able to uncover the murderer before they strike again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very fun audiobook.  I really loved Grace Conlin’s narration.

·       This is a summer selection of my JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  Besides being a fun read, the descriptions of the conference will be discussed as compared to JASNA conferences.

·       This was my first read of a book by Elizabeth Peters.  I have wanted to read her mysteries for a long time.  I need to pick up more of her novels.  I would also like to read more about Jaqueline Kirby as an amateur detective.  I need to start this series at the beginning as this was book three.

·       I loved the satire of the romance writers conference.  My favorite was that they had a man with glued on chest hair as a representative of a sexy romance novel book cover hero.  It reminded me of The Lost City starring Sandra Bullock.

·       I always make fun of older romance novels that use rape as a plot device.  This conference had protestors against those types of storylines, and it was discussed throughout the novel.  The author parodies or makes fun of a lot of romance plot devices of the 1980s.

·       The mystery itself was fun.  I didn’t spend too much time trying to figure it out and just let the plot lead me to where it would go.  I enjoyed it.

·       Jaqueline Kirby was a delightful main character.  She was sarcastic, smart, and fun.  It would be hilarious to be at such a convention with her.

Overall, Die for Love is a fun mystery with a great heroine and a fun setting of a romance writers conference.

 

Serabelle: Where the Wealthy Come to Play by Tavi Taylor Black (TLC Book Tours)

 

What trees are flowering near you?  We have beautiful flowering pink trees in Northeast Wisconsin right now, but I am not sure what they are.  My lilacs are now in bloom.

In Maine, rich people have built mansions that they visit during the summer to get away from the City in the early twentieth century.  Serabelle is a beautiful cliffside “cottage.”  The Hunt family spends their summers at the estate.  Mr. Hunt and Mrs. Ainsworth-Hunt both came from wealthy families and married to combine their fortunes.  Now in their middle age, they find they have nothing in common, but can mostly keep apart in their large home.  Mabel is a young teenage maid starting her job at Serabelle, and she has quickly caught the eye of Mr. Hunt.  As their affair heats up, and family squabbles come to head, will Mabel be able to get the life that she deserves?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the Downton Abbey in America feel to this book.  I always love it when we get an intertwined story of the rich family as well as the servants who live on the estate.

·       I felt bad for poor naïve Mabel and the choices she must make after she discovers she is pregnant with Mr. Hunt’s child.  It made me wonder how many “arranged marriages” there were back in the day to cover up pregnancies by a married man.

·       There was also an interesting subplot involving Mr. Hunt’s jewels that shines a light on the families disfunction.

·       There were many storylines between the family members, the servants, and the interactions between the family members and servants.  They all came together to a stunning conclusion.

·       I really loved one character and I was shattered by their death at the end of the novel.

·       The descriptions of Serabelle and Maine were beautiful.  It made me want to visit.

·       I enjoyed the themes of inequality, suffrage, and socioeconomic class divide that were throughout the novel. 

·       The author’s grandmother worked as a cook for an estate in Maine.  I thought that was very interesting in the acknowledgements at the end of the novel.

Overall, Serabelle was an atmospheric story with great characters and setting. I enjoyed reading it.  I would recommend it for those that like me enjoyed Downtown Abbey, The Gilded Age, or the novels of Edith Wharton.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Tavi Taylor Black as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.