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Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave: A Novel by Elle Cosimano #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Book Blurb:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

My Review:

It’s been a year since I read Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice and now here we are with Book 5 of the quirky, irreverent series featuring a writer (Finlay) who’s hit the wall and is usually frantically trying to stall her New Jersey(?) editor while she comes up with something. Her best friend, Vero, has a dubious background and often times comes up with slightly illegal solutions to Finlay’s current problems.

And Finlay seems to have them. Usually of her own making.

She has two little ones and miraculously manages all the mischief-making without involving the young and innocent.

Finlay and Vero (who was originally supposed to help her manage the babies, the house, and be a quasi-assistant), are of similar age and persuasion. They are young, smart, and independent. Their dialogue is fast, snarky, and very contemporary.

I was hooked by the first installment and read each one since. I found a few over the top for me but came back for more anyway. This one includes an old lady (good old Mrs. Haggerty—the neighbor—save me from the narrator’s switch in voice—so annoying).

The plot, however, is clever, twisty, and humorous and I found it fast and fun. Just the right amount of romance (Finlay has a hot cop boyfriend and Vero also a new love interest), sexual innuendo, and trash talk. For the most part, the narrator does a credible job with the switch in voices and situation. Gotta run to keep up!

Enjoy something modern, engaging, and entertaining? If you haven’t already, might try this one.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Humorous Fiction & Satire, Women Sleuth Mysteries, Humorous Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0D3622PF1
Listening Length: 9 hrs 11 mins
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Publication Date: March 4, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Award winner, and an Edgar® Award nominee. Her acclaimed young adult novels include Nearly Gone, Holding Smoke, The Suffering Tree, and Seasons of the Storm. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a PEOPLE Magazine Pick and one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Time. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia. You can learn more about her at her website: http://www.ElleCosimano.com.

Photo courtesy of Holly Virginia Photography

Happy Listening!

One False Move by Alex Kava #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

Internationally best-selling author Alex Kava delivers a searing thriller of one woman’s encounter with her past which could jeopardize her future

Melanie Starks has never lived life by the rules. She and her 17-year-old son, Charlie, have been running one con job or another for as long as she can remember, justifying the petty crimes as the necessary survival moves of a single mother. But Melanie is ready to give it up. Then Jared Barnett reappears in her life.

Fresh out of prison after serving five years of a life sentence for murder, Jared is released on a technicality that by no means proves his innocence. And he’s feeling more invincible than ever. He has the perfect plan for a big score and he needs Melanie’s help. But everything goes terribly wrong. Only one thing is clear: A line has been crossed. Suddenly there’s no turning back, and there is nothing left to lose.

My Review:

In my haste to grab another Creed series book, this one came up as “next” and I downloaded without realizing it was a standalone and not even part of her original Maggie O’Dell series, which I was also going to check out. Well, rats! But I went ahead and listened to the audiobook anyway and discovered it quite a bit different from the writing style and prose of the Creed books.

In this short novel, the antagonist is released from prison on a technicality after serving only five years of a life prison sentence for murder. Unfortunately, he engages his sister Melanie Startks and her teenage son, Charlie, in his hair-brained scheme to rob a Nebraska bank, whereupon Jared loses control of the situation and multiple people are killed forcing them all to flee…with a hostage.

There are multiple POVs, getting inside the head of the despicable Jared for one. The narrative is short and action packed, building suspense, tension from the beginning. These are not particularly characters in which you’ll engage, but they are well developed and ooze malevolence.

There is a good mystery here and the book proves fun and entertaining, apparently modeling after a real experience. The ending provides such a jaw-dropping knee-jerk twist that you don’t see coming, you are left with unanswered questions. Interesting.

Okay, so fans of fast-paced mysteries, tension-filled crime chronologies, and desperate characters may well enjoy this one. I did despite triggers of language and sex. But I’ll look for a Maggie O’Dell book next.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Suspense Thrillers, Romance
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0002SQSII
Listening Length: 5 hrs 5 mins
Narrator: Maggi-Meg Reed
Publication Date: July 28, 2004
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: One False Move (Amazon)

The Author: ALEX KAVA is a New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of twenty novels including the award-winning FBI Profiler Maggie O’Dell series and the critically acclaimed and now award-winning Ryder Creed K-9 Mystery series. Recently LOST CREED won the 2019 Nebraska Book Award. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. One False Move was chosen for the 2006 One Book One Nebraska and her political thriller, Whitewash, was one of January Magazine’s best thrillers of the year. Published in over thirty-four countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Poland.

#ThrowbackThursday

Silent Creed and Reckless Creed by Alex Kava #AudiobookReviews #ActionThriller #TBT

Books 2 and 3 Ryder Creed

Audiobook Reviews - Ryder Creed Books 2 and 3

Remember back in April when I posted a review for Breaking Creed, Book 1 of the Ryder Creed series? Yes, I got hooked and vowed to listen to all eight in the series. Unfortunately, my library had only these three in audiobook format. I’d read the others if I weren’t quite so stacked up on ebooks in the TBR just waiting for attention. Needless to say, I greatly enjoyed Ryder Creed and the saga of his dog rescue, the great support characters, and the stories incorporating rescues turned service animals. Hey—it could happen and I imagined it so through these entertaining books.

I snapped up Books 2 and 3 and hardly turned off the earbuds except to charge them.

Ryder Creed – An ex-military Afghanistan veteran. He has teamed with Hannah. They rescue and train dogs from their compound in Florida. All breeds, all sizes, different jobs. A few dogs, for instance, Grace, a little Jack Russell Terrier, are multi-service and their expertise is in increasing demand.

Maggie O’Dell, a character from which this series is apparently a spin-off, is a FBI profiler. She’s smart, experienced, and wields her authority with impunity.

Silent Creed Book 2

This time Creed and his dog Bolo have been called to North Carolina to the scene of a horrific mudslide that took out a covert lab and personnel.

Maggie O’Dell continues to play a part. I appreciate that we don’t have an underlying romance thing going on here, although it’s lightly suggested (maybe it was in Book 1), that they might have a brief history. (Now they have a good reciprocal working relationship.)

This novel introduces a new veteran, Jason Seaver, dealing heavily with PTSD as well as a missing arm who settles into the rescue compound ably handled by Hannah, also an appealing and engaging character.

There is intrigue, twists, and a fast pace to the book. The conclusion ends rather abruptly—was that a cliff-hanger? Or no…not sure. 4 stars

Reckless Creed Book 3

Things turn slightly more complex when there are multiple, seemingly unrelated events that culminate in the death, explanatory or not, of several individuals. Each have their own POV ramping up engagement, emotions, and connection and then gradually—with each other.

The plot, though the book was published in 2016, is certainly topical and garners attention immediately. The suspense is palpable, the fear real. The storyline builds tension throughout. Is it terrorism?

There is always some explanation into a dog’s psyche. In this installment, info of disease transmittable from animal to human, some woven in so you don’t realize the information being digested.

Once again, the storyline culminates rather quickly, although this episode does knit in a few loose threads from Book 2, while leaving a couple new threads to chew on for Book 4. 5 stars

I do greatly enjoy the series but perhaps it is not one that you might want to jump into the middle rather than at the beginning with Book 1. I love the obvious affection that Ryder has for his dogs, each handled with respect for their individual abilities. The dogs are well developed and lovable characters. I’d prefer continuing with audiobooks, but it appears my library only has a few more of the series but in digital format.

This series began in 2014 and ended in 2023 with Ryder Creed #8. I’ll be looking for more. Each of the audiobooks was about 7+ hours published by Recorded Books and was narrated by Graham Winton who did a credible job.

If you like suspenseful doggy stories and action thrillers, you may very well appreciate these fun and entertaining books. I downloaded a copy of these audiobooks from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

The Author: ALEX KAVA is a New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of twenty novels including the award-winning FBI Profiler Maggie O’Dell series and the critically acclaimed and now award-winning Ryder Creed K-9 Mystery series. Recently LOST CREED won the 2019 Nebraska Book Award. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. One False Move was chosen for the 2006 One Book One Nebraska and her political thriller, Whitewash, was one of January Magazine’s best thrillers of the year. Published in over thirty-four countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Poland.

“A TRAILBLAZER IN THE K-9 FICTION GENRE, Kava creates a “dynamic between Ryder and his canines that reveals a world rarely shared in fiction and perhaps nowhere presented more effectively than in this series.” —Phil Jason, Florida Weekly

“It’s impossible not to care about and root for the human and canine heroes in Kava’s series.” —Tracie Holtcher, The Radio Pet Lady Network ™

She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and is a founding member of International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida with her pack of of westies.

Happy Listening!

Sincerely, Grace: The Knocknashee Series-Book 4 by Jean Grainger #BookReview #HistoricalIrishFiction

Book 4 of The Knocknashee Story

#1 Best Seller in Historical Irish Fiction

Book Blurb:

Knocknashee, County Kerry, Ireland

1941

For twenty-one-year-old Grace Fitzgerald, life is finally looking bright. Orphaned as a child and later struck down by polio, she then endured years of cold indifference at the hands of her sister Agnes. Now, with Agnes finally gone, Grace has found love with her handsome young husband and peace surrounded by friends in her home village of Knocknashee and in her ongoing friendship with the American journalist Richard Lewis.

But just as Grace begins to enjoy her hard-won freedom, a dark shadow falls, and most devastating of all, her dearest friend Tilly may be entangled in the sinister events unfolding around her.

Sincerely Grace is the fourth book in the Knocknashee Series.

My Review:

That masterful Irish storyteller is at it again with Book 4 of the Knocknashee Story now in November 1941.

Grace’s tenure as headmistress of the Knocknashee School is on very rocky grounds when Canon Rafferty is set to return.

While WWII continues to keep Richard and Jacob on this side of the pond, it also means he is sent into the fray to write stories and Jacob to take pictures. It keeps him closer to Grace when the chips are down with the Canon but also puts him and Jacob in harm’s way. Their escape and eventual return to London give both men a closer regard for Sarah and Pippa.

In the meantime, Declan, Grace’s groom has been killed in the search for men hit by a U-boat bomb. Grace becomes a widower about the time Richard (who is still unaware that Grace never got his letter of declaration) is becoming closer to Pippa.

There is conspiracy, possible espionage, and stories of the struggles of Ireland during “the Emergency” as well as interesting tidbits about the war you may not have been aware of previously. The intrigue ramps up and the tension tightens as forces still appear to be working against Richard and Grace ever becoming aware of the other’s feelings. It plays heavily on the reader’s heart since we are now fully engaged in Pippa’s character, a lovely, selfless your lady who appears to have given her heart to Richard.

Life is never dull in the village and the series continues to weave a narrative that builds connection and love to the characters.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Women’s Friendship Fiction
ISBN: 1917732031
ASIN: B0DT68LN2L
Print Length: 292 pages
Publication Date: April 28, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Jean Grainger is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100,000 5* reviews of historical and contemporary Irish fiction. She is acclaimed for her authentic portrayal of Irish life and history. Born in Cork, she draws from her experience as a history lecturer, teacher, and tour guide to craft characters that feel like friends, and sometimes foes. Grainger’s works span multiple series and standalone novels, covering significant periods in recent Irish history, but told from the perspective of families, the humans behind the headlines. Her stories often intertwine historical events with personal journeys, exploring themes of family, friendship, and human resilience. Grainger’s writing style, characterized by its warmth and authenticity, has earned her comparisons to renowned Irish authors like Maeve Binchy. Her dedication to research and character development has resulted in a loyal readership who feel deeply connected to her stories and characters.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay #BookReview #psychologicalthriller

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner.

At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths soon call them—come from very different families. What drew them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril—or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told from each family’s point of view—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days in the dorms when friends become family.

His Review:

Parents are going to be spending a weekend with their students at Santa Clara University. There are five families with varying levels of enthusiasm waiting to join their offspring. The festivities begin but there is a problem, where are the students?

The book examines each of the families and their inter-reactions and expectations.

The event falls apart because none of the students show up at the event. At first, it is considered a college prank but then one of the students’ bodies is found drowned in a cave near the ocean. All the adults become frantic. Are the students OK?

The book is very well written but the format of the story left me flummoxed. The author presented each of the different families’ perspective and point of view. I found myself torn wanting a more consistent dialogue regarding each of the families. I was left wanting answers before a second set of family attitudes were presented.

Because there are five families with ten adults each having their own issues, I could not maintain a logical thread in my reading. Therefore, for me, the story fell through the cracks in the narrative. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250360722
ASIN: B0DBVV6PMG
Print Length: 308 pages
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Alex Finlay is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout EVERY LAST FEAR, the 2022 GoodReads Choice nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller, THE NIGHT SHIFT, the 2023 LibraryReads Hall of Fame recipient, WHAT HAVE WE DONE, and his latest 2024 release, USA TODAY bestseller, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME. His novels regularly appear on best-of-the-year lists and have been translated into twenty-four languages and are sold around the world. Alex’s books are optioned for film and television, and EVERY LAST FEAR is in development for a major series. Alex lives in Washington, DC and Virginia, where he is at work on his next novel.

Have a Great Sunday

Book graphic banner by Canva.com AI

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava #AudiobookReview #ActionThriller

Book 1 of 8 Ryder Creed

Book Blurb:

Ryder Creed and his dogs have been making national headlines. They’ve intercepted several major drug stashes being smuggled through Atlanta’s airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention. When Creed and one of his dogs are called in to search a commercial fishing vessel, they discover a secret compartment. But the Colombian cartel’s latest shipment isn’t drugs. This time, its cargo is human. To make matters worse, Creed helps one of the cartel’s drug mules escape – a 14-year-old girl who reminds him of his younger sister who disappeared 15 years ago. Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O’Dell is investigating a series of murders – the victims tortured, killed, and dumped in the Potomac River. She suspects it’s the work of a cunning and brutal assassin, but her politically motivated boss has been putting up roadblocks. By the time she uncovers a hit list with Creed’s name on it, it might be too late. The cartel has already sent someone to destroy Creed and everyone close to him. But Creed and his dogs have a few surprises in store on their compound in Florida. Will it be enough to stop a ruthless cartel determined to remove the thorn in its side once and for all?

My Review:

OMG, another dog series I’m just discovering and why hasn’t someone told me about this one?

The main character is a damaged Afghanistan ex-military person. In this case, Ryder Creed. He has teamed with Hannah and together they rescue and train dogs for all the different jobs that humans have discovered they can excel at. Many of the dogs are multi-service and their service is in demand.

Grace is a little Jack Russell Terrier and my favorite. JRs are a feisty, smart breed. She is one of the multi-service dogs, keenly aware of all the nuances of her handler, intelligent, and with a nose that knows. As Ryder says, “Grace is never wrong.”

In fact, there are several engaging characters, including Maggie O’Dell, who is apparently a character from another series by the author. An obvious romance link, though neither acknowledges the tension—fine by me—I’m not here for the romance.

Maggie is an FBI profiler but tends to play fast and loose in her position. She’s experienced and has enough history behind her to project authority.

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava — Audiobook cover – UK

There is a sub-level plot with lots of things going on, a mystery, well-developed and engaging characters, and a plot that is steeped in action if not description and explanation of the training and psyche of canines.

There is an escalation of body count which involves drug cartels and nasty people. The connection with Ryder and his dogs though is primo in this narrative and anyone who loves or is fascinated by their abilities will enjoy. It is also, however, a credible thriller with some human characters that this reader loved as well. The narrator did a fine job with the Southern accents and kept the pressure on.

I appreciated the ease into Book 1 of a new series which appears to be a spin off of a previously well received series and enjoyed it enough to go looking for Book 2. Look for Silent Creed soon.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Crime Thrillers, Mystery Action & Adventure
Publisher: Recorded Books
ASIN: B00RN8QS4O
Listening Length: 7 hrs 6 mins
Narrator: Graham Winton
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

“It’s impossible not to care about and root for the human and canine heroes in Kava’s series.” —Tracie Holtcher, The Radio Pet Lady Network ™

You Have Gone Too Far by Carlene O’Connor #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

A County Kerry Novel Book 3

Book Blurb:

With the haunting, moody prose of Tana French and the compulsive storytelling of Dervla McTiernan or Ann Cleeves, bestselling author Carlene O’Connor lures readers to a remote village on Ireland’s southwest coast, where winding windswept roads open to spectacular views of rugged cliffs against immense, lonely beaches . . . and some fear a mysterious cult could be connected to the disappearance of a young pregnant woman.

After two pregnant women in Dingle who have never met each receive a chilling email warning them that they’re in grave danger, the two decide to meet each other to figure out what is going on. But when one of the mothers, Shauna, a deaf woman, arrives at their meeting place at the village Spring Festival, she fears a trap and hurries off to meet the couple who plan to adopt her baby.

Meanwhile, Dimpna Wilde has her hands full with lambing season and keeping track of her father, so she’s grateful for the help of a well-meaning ten-year-old boy, Dylan, at the veterinary clinic. But when the lad goes missing after going into a bog on a dare with two other boys to search for a “monster,” she is desperate to help find him.

After the adoptive couple are discovered tied up in their home, telling a terrifying story of a deaf pregnant woman being abducted by a man wearing a butterfly mask, Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien and Detective Sergeant Barbara Neely fear a repeat of a disturbing case from twenty years earlier, when a charismatic leader calling himself the Shepherd, lured poor pregnant girls into his enigmatic cult. Though allegations of baby smuggling were never proven, he’d been put away on other charges. But then they learn that the Shepherd has recently been released from prison.

Trapped in a cold, dark room with a frightened boy, Shauna fears for their lives as well as that of her unborn baby. If she has any chance of getting out and away from the Moth Man, as she calls her abductor, she’ll have to figure out the truth behind who she really is and how that connects to the ordeal she finds herself in now. But time is running out and her baby will be born soon . . .

My Review:

I’ve enjoyed the author’s cozy mystery series for some time, read most of them and then started this series. Book 3 is also my third and I’ve found each a bit darker.

Although Book 2 Some of Us Are Looking, began bordering on noir this one turned even darker from thriller to horror and I found some descriptions just too graphic for me.

Dimpna Wilde is a vet in a remote rural village on Ireland’s coast. Her practice has led her to confront the death of more than animals. In this installment, the gruesome body of a pregnant woman and her baby has been found. At the same time, a young boy and a pregnant teenage girl go missing.

Dimpna is again partnered with Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien and Detective Sergeant Barbara Neely to help find the missing children as well as determine who and why the young woman was killed and her body dumped. Is an old cult resurfacing?

We’ve come up on the partnership of Dimpna and DI O’Brien before and rooted in the background for them to possibly light the spark that undeniably appears between them.

I’m not sure what really happened to this storyline though. It felt like it made a left turn somewhere in the plot and created a rather disjointed feel to the novel. I liked the POV from the teenage girl (who is also deaf!). Support characters are not developed—left more as dark shadows in the scene. I thought I detected a couple of small contradictions which left me a bit confused and as the narrative raced to the denouement, became ever more complex and confounding. I’m not sure—did that whole confusing explanation in conclusion make sense to you?

There is not enough of E.T., her sheepdog, Pickles, her border collie, and Guinness, her English bulldog in this one. I was enjoying the series even as it turned darker, but this one had me wondering what happened to the author with the sweet cozies and who is this one?

The setting is atmospheric, Dimpna is an interesting main character, and it appears she and Cormac may get cozy. If you enjoy stories written about Ireland or mysteries set in a unique village with a smart and unusual MC with a dark storyline chalked full of twists you can’t predict, you’ll enjoy. But be aware, this one gets graphic.

I received a copy of this book from my library that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Kidnapping Crime Fiction, International Mystery & Crime, Kidnapping Thrillers
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 149673758X
ASIN: B0CTDJTBTL
Print Length: 369 pages
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. She writes the bestselling IRISH VILLAGE MYSTERIES, the HOME TO IRELAND series, and the new COUNTY KERRY MYSTERIES. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, and optioned for television. Readers can find her at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086525205106 or through her website: http://www.carleneoconnor.net

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Phoenix Crown: A Novel by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Literature & Fiction

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2024)

Book Blurb:

From bestselling authors Janie Chang and Kate Quinn, a thrilling and unforgettable narrative about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice.

My Review:

While I’m totally mystified by the genre this title falls under, I’m a solid Kate Quinn fan and waited my turn for the library audiobook. This time around, Quinn collaborates with Janie Chang and between the two have seamlessly taken a number of different period stories and created The Phoenix Crown. Actually, that artifact only came up a few times in the story and it was near the end of the book.

My grandfather was caught in this earthquake. I wish I had gotten more stories from him but I do know he sustained a broken hip in the massive earthquake that wrought so much damage that the fire it started burned for three days.* The storyline counts down to the event in April 1906. On the San Andreas fault, the earthquake was felt as far north as the Oregon border, to the east as far as the Nevada border, and to the south in Las Angeles. Chinatown was burned to the ground as was Nob Hill and most SF landmarks.

There are several POVs including Gemma, Suling, and Alice. Their stories are linked by antagonist Henry Thornton. Not the first book I’ve read of the plight of the Chinese immigrants of the time given their role in the construction of the railroads. Suling becomes my favorite character as she relates her circumstances, a strong woman who doggedly plugs along on her quest for freedom when she is orphaned and third uncle is prepared to marry her off. She works for the family’s laundry but is a talented embroideress and it is that talent that helps to catapult her into independence.

Gemma has a gorgeous voice but is relegated to the backup voices or choir as she confronts debilitating migraines if faced with solos. She meets Thornton who sweet-talks her into believing he’ll make her a star. Uh huh. Of the three, she is weakest.

Alice Eastwood is a botanist and based on a real person of the time who still has her work displayed in the de Young Museum (read the epilogue and author’s notes at the end for how this all came together and that’s a fascinating account in itself).

The tension builds in the countdown to the earthquake. The three women unite in an effort to survive Thornton and the quake but five years later as realization hits that the Phoenix Crown survived, they know they must find Thornton once and for all.

“It wasn’t enough for a woman to be talented, clever, or good. That wouldn’t save her.”

It’s a story of the strength of women, particularly when they work together, the hardships faced at the time, the lively and burgeoning city, and the arts. More than just the name of the Crown, there is a little play with the words Suling and Phoenix, both rising from the ashes.

I had a little problem keeping up with Suling, alternately called Susie and Gemma’s friend (who is the reason for her moving to San Francisco). I first thought a man, Reggie, but that name changed as the plot progressed into a sub-plot.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. Narrated in part by Saskia Maarleveld–also a big fan–she always does a super job. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: World War I Historical Fiction, Historical World War I Fiction
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B0BSP718CY
Listening Length: 11 hrs 35 mins
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld, Katharine Chin
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: The Phoenix Crown – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Authors:

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” “The Diamond Eye,” and “The Briar Club.” She is also a co-author in several collaborative novels including “The Phoenix Crown” with Janie Chang and “Ribbons of Scarlet” with Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Eliza Knight, Sophie Perinot, and Heather Webb. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in Maryland with three rescue dogs.

Janie Chang‘s historical novels have been critically-acclaimed Canadian national bestsellers. Her novels THREE SOULS and DRAGON SPRINGS ROAD were long listed for the International Dublin Literary Award. Her third novel THE LIBRARY OF LEGENDS was a Book of the Month Club pick. Her fourth novel, THE PORCELAIN MOON, was named one of the 5 Top Historical Novels of 2023 by the Toronto Star. THE PHOENIX CROWN, a novel co-authored with Kate Quinn, released in February 2024.

Her stories often feature a family connection, drawing from a family history with 36 generations of recorded genealogy and stories about life in a small Chinese town in the years before the Second World War, including tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals.

Born in Taiwan, Janie has lived in the Philippines, Iran, Thailand, and New Zealand. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada with her husband.

Have a merry Tuesday!