Book Review: Little Black Dress by Susan McBride

Thursday 25 August, 2011 by 11 Comments

Title: Little Black Dress
Author: Susan McBride
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23, 2011
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-0062027191
Genre: Fiction

 

From the Publisher:

Two sisters whose lives seemed forever intertwined are torn apart when a magical little black dress gives each one a glimpse of an unavoidable future

Antonia Ashton has worked hard to build a thriving career and a committed relationship, but she realizes her life has gone off track. Forced to return home to Blue Hills when her mother, Evie, suffers a massive stroke, Toni finds the old Victorian where she grew up as crammed full of secrets as it is with clutter. Now she must put her mother’s house in order—and uncover long-buried truths about Evie and her aunt, Anna, who vanished fifty years earlier on the eve of her wedding. By shedding light on the past, Toni illuminates her own mistakes and learns the most unexpected things about love, magic, and a little black dress with the power to break hearts . . . and mend them.

My Review:

Little Black Dress by Susan McBride is an enchanting tale of Toni, her mother Evie, and aunt Anna whose lives are forever altered by the magical powers of a garment.  When Evie suffers from a large stroke, Toni returns home to help with things, including rummaging through the house’s treasures and that is where she learns of the power of the mysterious black dress and embarks on a pursuit of answers to her aunt’s mysterious disappearance some 50 years ago.  Told in alternating chapters that focus separately on Evie and then Toni, McBride creates an interesting motif where the chapters on Evie are told in first person whereas those on Toni are third person omniscient.  With a plot that contains plenty of twists, readers will be drawn into the lure of this dress that imparts the power to have a glimpse into the future as they discover that not only does the dress lead to revelations on Toni’s mother’s and aunt’s mysterious pasts, but Toni also leans more about herself on her magic-inspired quest for answers.  Though I found McBride’s writing to be expertly crafted and her witty style very befitting a mystery novel of this type, I am not a personal fan of magical elements, no matter how well they are written into plots.  I think readers who enjoy fantasy elements in their mysteries would probably find Little Black Dress to be an excellent choice.

To learn more about author Susan McBride, please visit her website: www.susanmcbride.com

For more reviews of the book, please follow the TLC Book Tour.

I received a complimentary ARC of Little Black Dress by Susan McBride from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.


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Book Review: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

Wednesday 24 August, 2011 by 13 Comments

Title: The Lantern
Author: Deborah Lawrenson
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: August 9, 2011
Hardcover: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-0062049698
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set against the lush backdrop of Provence

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les Genévriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les Genévriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les Genévriers has been haunted before. Bénédicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

My Review:

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson is a beautifully written and mysterious tale of Eve and Dom, two lovers who move to an old, vacant home in southern France with a mysterious past of its own.  Lawrenson’s descriptive prose transports readers to Provence as Eve gradually begins to discover the mysteries of her new home and begins to mistrust her lover who appears to be holding secrets of his former wife and her disappearance.  Slow to capture the suspense and mystery surrounding Eve’s new home and lover in the early portion of the novel, Lawrenson sets the reader up for a plot with many twists and surprises that are in store.  This is not a criticism, but rather how an exceptional story should unfold and I found it hard to set this one aside to tend to other responsibilities.  As readers begin to feel the mysteries are unfolding in a clear manner, Lawrenson crafts an unexpected turn that brilliantly brings the two mysteries together into one.  Mystery fans will find The Lantern to be very rewarding and I highly recommend The Lantern to all readers looking for an excellently crafted suspenseful tale.

About the Author:

Deborah Lawrenson grew up in Kuwait, China, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Singapore. She studied English at Cambridge University and has worked as a journalist for various publications in England, including the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and Woman’s Journal magazine. She lives in Kent, England, and she and her family spend as much time as possible at a crumbling hamlet in Provence, France, the setting for The Lantern.

To learn more about author Deborah Lawrenson, please visit her website: www.deborah-lawrenson.co.uk/

For more reviews of the book, please follow the TLC Book Tour.

I received a complimentary ARC of The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.


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Book Review: Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson

Friday 19 August, 2011 by 8 Comments

Title: Two for Sorrow
Author: Nicola Upson
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 9, 2011
Paperback: 496 pages
ISBN: 978-0061451584
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery

From the Publisher:

They were the most horrific crimes of a new century: the murders of newborn innocents for which two British women were hanged at Holloway Prison in 1903. Decades later, mystery writer Josephine Tey has decided to write a novel based on Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the notorious “Finchley baby farmers,” unaware that her research will entangle her in the desperate hunt for a modern-day killer.

A young seamstress—an ex-convict determined to reform—has been found brutally slain in the studio of Tey’s friends, the Motley sisters, amid preparations for a star-studded charity gala. Despite initial appearances, Inspector Archie Penrose is not convinced this murder is the result of a long-standing domestic feud—and a horrific accident involving a second young woman soon after supports his convictions. Now he and his friend Josephine must unmask a sadistic killer before more blood flows—as the repercussions of unthinkable crimes of the past reach out to destroy those left behind long after justice has been served.

My Review:

Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson is a compelling, yet disturbing story of two women who are hanged for the murders of newborns in 1903 and a writer who years later is writing a book about it. Call it a “book within a book”, Upson has created a rather intriguing storytelling method for this third novel in her Josephine Tey series. In parallel with Tey’s research into these horrific events, readers are exposed to another shocking homicide in present day, one that is not disconnected from the hangings at Holloway Prison. Upson crafts a tantalizing mystery that leads readers to question why someone is carrying out vengeful acts so many years after the execution of those believed to be involved in the Finchley baby farming. Upson has assembled an interesting premise for her story and presents her characters in masterful fashion, characters with real and flawed characteristics. I have not read her two previous Josephine Tey novels and felt a little uncomfortable with the characters with whom I felt ill at ease in learning for the first time about their interrelationships. I would recommend that readers plan to read Upson’s first two Tey novels before Two for Sorrow. In all, I felt Two for Sorrow still paid off for its intriguing premise, well crafted prose and just the right amount of mystery and I would recommend this book to all mystery fans.

About the Author:

Nicola Upson has written for a variety of publications, including the New Statesman, where she was a crime fiction critic. She also regularly contributes to BBC radio and has worked in the theater for ten years. She divides her time between Cambridge and Cornwall.

For more about the author and her books, please visit her website: nicolaupson.com

For more reviews of the book, please follow the TLC Book Tour.

I received a complimentary ARC of Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.


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Book Review: How To Love An American Man by Kristine Gasbarre

Wednesday 17 August, 2011 by 7 Comments

Title: How To Love An American Man
Author: Kristine Gasbarre
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 16, 2011
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN: 978-0061997396
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir

From the Publisher:

Kristine Gasbarre made a New York career of dating driven, inaccessible men. When she realizes her love life will never result in happiness if she continues on the same path, she makes a big decision—relocating to Italy to discover her roots and find out what defines her adoring grandpa. But upon receiving the news of his sudden passing, she is lured away.

With nowhere left to go, Krissy returns to her small hometown for the first time in a decade to help care for her grandmother—a refined, private matriarch suffering from early dementia along with the loss of her husband. In her reluctant agreement to share the nearly lost love stories and transformative lessons from her rich sixty-year marriage, Krissy’s grandma becomes the one offering comfort as she coaches her granddaughter through the fear of loving. Grandma’s unapologetic femininity and secret giving spirit opens Krissy’s eyes about relationships, teaching her the single most important requisite for loving a man: first a woman has to learn the power of her own inner beauty.

My Review:

How to Love an American Man by Kristine Gasbarre is a thoughtful and honest memoir about relationships and how the author learned the most valuable lessons about them from her grandmother.  Readers will learn how Gasbarre had difficulty in her relationships with men and rather than blaming others for her failures and misgivings, she turns to her recently widowed grandmother for a steady hand in life.  The memoir is well-written without superfluous passages and refreshing for its honesty as Gasbarre does not make excuses but instead seeks answers, opens her mind to others, and learns to become introspective.  Readers will feel close to the grandmother as she, suffering from her own very emotional loss at the death of her husband of sixty years, lends her heart, experience, and wisdom to her granddaughter.  Gasbarre ultimately shows her readers how she went to help her ailing and grieving grandmother and wound up helping her in ways that could not have been foretold.  Gasbarre was drawn to her grandmother in a time of need, yet she also provided her grandmother with something that was recently lost; that feeling when someone needed her.  How To Love an American Man is a good choice for those looking for an uplifting memoir.

About the Author:

Kristine Gasbarre lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is a celebrity interviewer and a culture and lifestyle contributor to women’s publications. She is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, and Fordham University in New York City, with degrees in psychology and media studies. Her last name is pronounced the Italian way, except in her hometown, where it rhymes with “raspberry.”

To learn more about author Kristine Gasbarre please visit her website at: www.kristinegasbarre.com/

For more reviews of the book, please follow the TLC Book Tour.

I received a copy of How to Love an American Man by Kristine Gasbarre from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.


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Book Review: Long Gone by Alafair Burke

Saturday 13 August, 2011 by 4 Comments

Title: Long Gone
Author: Alafair Burke
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-0061999185
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

From the Publisher:

What if everything you thought you knew turned out to be a lie? 
…more may be read by clicking the click above, I want to avoid potential spoilers…

My Review:

Long Gone by Alafair Burke is a tantalizing and taught suspense thriller that will take readers on an exciting journey with Alice Humphrey whose new job, working as the curator of a Manhattan art gallery, has just become a nightmare. I have read other works from Burke, so by saying Burke has kept up with the pattern of her previous novels, I imply that Long Gone is another excellent and suspenseful mystery that is sure to please mystery fans. Burke, in Long Gone, has yet again crafted in masterful fashion a plot with more twists and turns than a small intestine, keeping readers on the end of their seats as this story is hard to read in anything but one sitting. When the man who hired Alice is found dead in the art gallery, and all of the art has disappeared, the story takes on a life of its own as Alice finds herself the prime suspect in the murder. Told from various perspectives, readers will delight in following Alice along of path of deception, littered with secrets that will disturb the very foundations of Alice’s upbringing. The plot twists are well placed and Burke has crafted exceptional characters with realistic flaws. Lone Gone is an all around great suspense mystery that drew me into the plot early and kept me engaged through to the unexpected conclusion. I recommend Long Gone to all fans of suspense mysteries, but must caution the profanity at times may be too harsh for some readers.

To learn more about author Alafair Burke or her books, please visit her website: alafairburke.com

I received a complimentary ARC of Long Gone by Alafair Burke from Harper Collins. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.


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