#brennasrecs

[lakecountylibrary]

I have been enjoying A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales. I love a good murder mystery but have surprisingly enjoyed the setting of Regency-era Britain. Would you be able to provide any recommendations for other novels similar to this?

Certainly! We too love a good historical murder mystery, so several of us have recs for you.

Brenna: The Wrexford & Sloane series by Andrea Penrose takes place in Regency London and is murder mystery on a more cozy-ish scale. Audiobook narrator is excellent! I've listened to them all.

Start with Murder on Black Swan Lake

Sarah: There is Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James, which is a sort of sequel to Pride and Prejudice. It was well-received enough to get its own adaptation on BBC.

Chris (who literally just checked out the audiobook for A Most Agreeable Murder): I would suggest the Dianne Freeman series "Countess of Harleigh Mysteries", starting with A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder.

Happy reading!

[lakecountylibrary]

Book Rec: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Audiobook narrated by Christine Lakin and Dawn Harvey (12 hours, 37 minutes)

This was my first foray into the world of author Riley Sager and it was not a disappointment. The Only One Left is full of twists and turns, and while a few are predictable, the majority kept me guessing.

I listened to this novel over six days, and I have to say I looked forward to my audiobook time daily. There really weren't any slow parts and the narration was convincing. Both narrators spoke with what has come to be known as the generic Midwest accent, even though the story takes place in Maine.

It may be more challenging for readers under 40 to relate to the book, because it takes place in the 1980s, back in the days of cassette tapes and boom boxes. Normally I prefer books that take place in modern day, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance!

Check out The Only One Left

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[lakecountylibrary]

Book Review: The Darkness Surrounds Us by Gail Lukasik

Chicago, 1918: Nellie Lester flees her home in the city to be a nurse on a remote Michigan island for a wealthy lumber baron's pregnant wife. She is haunted by her mother's past and her own demons.

Nellie has more than the Spanish flu motivating her to leave Chicago. This gothic murder-mystery with a touch of romance will keep you guessing! Perfect for a cold, dark night, this novel takes place during a typical Midwest winter. I found it to have an interesting premise, although it was a little slow in sections.

Will Nellie make peace with her demons and solve the island's secrets, before the lake freezes over? Reserve your copy today to find out!

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Check out The Darkness Surrounds Us

[lakecountylibrary]

Series Spotlight: Dr. Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths

The Dr. Ruth Galloway series is 15 books long. I can say I have listened to each book! The 15th and final book just came out in April.

I loved this series... except for the last book. It was written in a different style than the others and I didn't care for how it jumps from character to character with no warning.

Dr. Ruth Galloway is an eminent British forensic archaeologist, who is called upon by the police whenever they find bones they need help identifying or dating. There is an archaeological discovery featured in each of the books, along with at least one murder to be solved.

The plot of each novel is unique, but the cast of characters is pretty consistent. There is a lot of character development, especially in the later books.

The books don't quite qualify as cozies, yet compared to other crime novels, they are pretty tame. I appreciate that Griffiths is able to tell a story without a lot of sex and violence.

The 14th book (The Locked Room) does deal with Covid-19 and some of it hit pretty close to home, especially the fear and isolation the characters go through.

This series would make for great television and I hope to see a screen adaptation at some point!

The narrator for the audio version of each book is Jane McDowell and she does a superb job. She is Dr. Ruth Galloway!

Look for this series in print, audiobook, ebook and eaudiobook formats at LCPL.

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Historical Thriller Rec: The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

Audiobook narrated by January LaVoy, Grace Experience, and Gabrielle De Cuir. Runtime 10 hours.

The Lioness takes place in 1964 and is the story of a group of wealthy Hollywood types on safari in Tanzania. The safari goes horribly wrong. Who will make it out alive? This action packed thriller will keep you guessing.

Rarely do I give a book a 5 star rating but The Lioness gets one!

There are really no slow parts to this book. Author Chris Bohjalian keeps the reader on their toes.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, but it's not confusing because every chapter begins with the character's name.

I would definitely describe this novel as a psychological thriller. The reader really gets inside the heads of the characters.

Content Warning: There is some foul language and some gore but it is not gratuitous. Real people in desperate situations don't stop to think about censoring their language. As for the gore, I found it enhanced the story and was necessary in a book with vivid descriptions of everything else.

The narration of this novel was excellent. There are three narrators and each one is spot on. I felt transported to Tanzania, both by the author's descriptions, and the superb narration.

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Check out The Lioness from LCPL

[lakecountylibrary]

Book Review: The Village by Caroline Mitchell

Audiobook runtime: 8.5 hours

Trigger warnings: Violence, gun violence, child abuse

The Village made me question my own morals and what I would do in a similar situation.

There are many secrets in the village of Nighbrook, and many people involved in keeping those secrets from the outside world.

I want to say I enjoyed this novel but I am not sure enjoy is the right word to use here. Mitchell keeps the reader on their toes, and the ending was not obvious, to me at least, so it does have an element of surprise. I may even listen to it again at some point, because I am sure there are elements of the story that I didn't pick up on the first time.

It's intense listening, and the narrator, Elizabeth Knowelden, does a great job. Some narrators I find are just monotone and don't convey the emotions of the characters well, but Knowelden does. While this is a British book, with a British narrator, her accent is soft and easy to understand.

This novel is not for the faint of heart, as it's very intense, but I do recommend it, if you can get past the trigger warnings.

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[lakecountylibrary]

The Chateau (spoiler-free review!)

by Jaclyn Goldis

Audiobook narrated by Carlotta Brentan, Amanda Carlin, Graham Halstead, Elisabeth Lagelee, Emily Lawrence, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, and Jackie Sanders

This is a great thriller! I felt like I was transported to France and into the middle of the action.

Four best friends meet at a chateau in Provence. The chateau is owned by Seraphine Demargelasse, a formidable woman who is brutally murdered in her bed.

The novel focuses on the mystery behind who killed Seraphine. Each character has a reason why they may want her dead, but which one did it? Who is really a friend?

There are a lot of characters in this novel, but each chapter begins with the character's name, and in the audiobook, each character has their own narrator! There are seven, yes seven narrators!

The book is sprinkled with French words and phrases, but for those who do not speak French, the context makes it obvious what the intended meaning is, and many times the English words follow.

The audiobook is long at almost 13 and a half hours, but I was not bored. I can't wait to see what Jaclyn Goldis writes next!

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[lakecountylibrary]

Murder Mystery Rec: The Girls who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

This British murder-mystery really hits the mark. The Girls Who Disappeared has it all: murder, suspense, and a little romance.

The novel is confusing for awhile but don't give up, there is a reason for everything in this book. When I realized how it all comes together it was like a light bulb going off in my head.

The setting is a rural town in Wiltshire, England. There are several main characters in this novel; the most likable for me is Jenna, an almost middle aged journalist, who comes to town to interview locals for a podcast about the Devil's Corridor, a creepy stretch of road with supposed supernatural goings on, and the scene of a terrible accident in which three girls vanished.

This brings us to the driver of the car, Olivia, who is the only one found in the vehicle after the accident. She has no memory of what happened to her friends.

Then there is Stacy, whose story does not seem to fit in with the rest of the novel, but stick with it, the payout in the end is worth it.

The audiobook (9.5 hours) has two narrators - Joanne Froggatt and Clare Corbett - and both do a decent job, although the male voices are not quite as convincing as they could be.

If you enjoy British mysteries with strong female characters then this book may be for you!

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