Stacking the Shelves #63

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99

I thought this looked like a great cozy mystery set in Scotland. The author is an American who married into a Scottish family and therefore has a first hand knowledge of the the subject material. In this series, a Scottish aristocratic family living in a Downton Abbey like castle contends with a mysterious illness, locked in the house with a murderer loose. Looks like a lot of fun!

History of India: A History in 50 Events by Hourly History

Amazon Kindle- Free with Friday Freebies Newsletter

I love these Hourly History books and the Friday newsletter has lots of free and discounted books. This one about India is great because I am fascinated by the country's background but am not educated enough about it yet to delve too deep. I like the "snapshot" idea first and then I can see what areas I want to learn more about. 

California Gold by John Jakes

Libby borrow

Having completed so many of Jakes' books over the years I got a little burnt out but have always intended to return to and read them all. This is one that looks intriguing because I know very little about California. His research is always solid and he weaves a good tale with convincing characters. Sometimes his books can have them living through all the major events of the times and it can seem a bit "coincidental" but that is also a great way to use historical fiction to educate readers. I know it will be a good read.

Murder On Boston Common by Andrea Kress (Massachusetts Cozy Mystery Book One)

 

Publication Date:

January 21, 2023 

Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery

Length:   194 pages 

Series: Massachusetts Cozy Mysteries

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

She's rich and bored. This homicide has no motive. Determined to get to the truth, can a socialite solve the murder before she's next?

Boston, 1933. Amanda Burnside yearns for more. Dutifully hitting the social scene and volunteering for charity, the young former debutante is delighted to be dating a doctor yet wishes for excitement. But she wasn't expecting a stroll on Boston Common with her beau to end with the discovery of a dead body.

Shocked by the experience, Amanda ignores her parents' wishes and resolves to follow the clues to uncover the perpetrator. But with shady characters, ruthless bootleggers and wily politicians all fighting to keep the details buried, the plucky amateur sleuth fears the answers may land her in the morgue.
Can Amanda unmask a murderer without becoming the next victim?

My Thoughts

The story was pretty simple and the characters not super fleshed out yet but I have to confess I really enjoyed it. I will likely continue with this series. Sometimes when I read cozy mysteries I can't figure out why I like certain characters better than others. The book had a sense of YA to it in that it was simple but I came away wanting to know more about the next book and see how they develop. Amanda is working hard on her project and volunteering and is more caught up in the mystery drama without trying to be. She and the detective in the story are slightly romantic but definitely nothing serious yet. And the doctor who is proposing marriage is interesting too. 

It didn't have a great big intricate plot of whoodunit and one could have guessed the outcome fairly easitly. But that wasn't all there was to the story. I enjoyed how the author portrayed her family and the doctor's family. Amanda comes from a more aristocratic background (as is so often true in the 1920's cozies) and her parents disapprove of her involvement in "a real job" and of course in the mystery solving. Sounds like a been there done that but the author made these characters authentic and I liked them. 

In addition, there is a whole separate story developing involving Louisa, Amanda's sister and her shady club owner boyfriend, this being the prohibition era. I think it will be fun to see where all of that goes too. 

Some reviews online complained that the story is way too short and the author is just trying to get you to pay for the next one without resolving the first. I totally disagree. After finishing it I came away with feeling things were wrapped up and moving on to another case. So I'm not quite sure why they thought that. Yes, the subsequent mysteries all take place in Boston and might be a bit similiar but as I looked at book two it is a completely different story. 

If you like cozies and need some simple but fun reading you can't go wrong with the Massachusetts Cozy Mystery series, one of the few not set in England either!

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell (A Gilded Newport Mystery Book Thirteen)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Murder at Arleigh, by Alyssa Maxwell. I have come to appreciate this series more, especially since it became a movie series on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. I am very far behind as usual with them and have only read the first three books. It is fun how each focuses on a different mansion in the Newport area. This is another I'm going to try and keep up with in the future. Happy reading ya'll!

Cozy Historical Mysteries

 

August 26, 2025

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Reporter, sleuth, and new mother Emma Cross Andrews comes to the aid of a distraught wife who’s convinced her husband is trying to kill her . . .

April 1903: Emma and Derrick Andrews have been invited to the wedding of her cousin Reggie Vanderbilt and heiress Cathleen Neilson at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh. Their hosts are a popular young couple who are leasing the home for the summer—Harry and Elizabeth “Bessie” Lehr. Known for his practical jokes, Harry is the toast of parties, earning a reputation as the court jester of the Gilded Age. However, as Emma soon learns, behind closed doors he is dead serious.

Following the wedding, Bessie comes to Emma for help, insisting that her husband is cruel to her in private, telling her outright he married her only for her money and finds her repulsive. Divorce is unthinkable. Now she believes he is plotting to murder her and make it look like an a broken balcony railing she might have leaned on, a loose stair runner that could have sent her tumbling down a staircase, faulty brakes in the car she uses . . .

Some would say being trapped in a loveless marriage is a fate worse than death. Not Bessie—she wants to live! Unsure if these situations are mere coincidences or add up to premeditated sabotage, Emma agrees to investigate and determine if Newport’s merry prankster is engaged in a cold-blooded game of life or death . . .

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Cozy Series Mysteries Set in the 1920's

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is to pick books set in a certain time, place, etc. of my choosing. I thought it would be fun to choose books set in a one hundred year period and since I also love so many cozy mysteries I chose my favorite ones set in the 1920's. There are so many series here that I wanted to narrow down my favorites. Here is my list. I can't wait to see others' ideas!

Cozies Set in the 1920's: (Click on the title link to go to Good Reads)

1. Lady Caroline  by Isabella Bassett 

2. Lady Eleanor Swift by Verity Bright

3. Camille Devine Mysteries by Andrea Hicks

4. Lottie Sprigg Mysteries by Martha Bond

5. Jane Wunderly Mysteries by Erica Ruth Neubauer

6. Lord Edgington Investigates by Benedict Brown

7. Tommy and Evelyn Christie Mysteries by Catherine Coles

8. Lady Felicity Quick Mysteries by Rosie Hunt

9. Kitty Worthington Mysteries by Magda Alexander 

10. Her Royal Spyness Series by Rhys Bowen

Have you read any of these series? What other cozies are your favorites?

Stacking the Shelves #62

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie 

Amazon Kindle purchase- $1.99 

These short stories are great for a quick read. I have the winter version of this and haven't read it but want to do so this Christmas season. You can't go wrong with summer Christie mysteries!

The Red Prince: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by Helen Carr

Amazon Kindle purchase- $1.99 

I love Helen Carr. She's a great history author and covers more obscure topics from the Middle Ages. This book about John of Gaunt should be informative and written in narrative style. She has been featured on some podcasts I listen to and is top notch with her research. 

A Body on the Doorstep: London Ladies Murder Club Book One by Marty Wingate

Amazon Kindle purchase- Free with points

Another cozy mystery series to add to my huge collection....I didn't need it but I just can't help myself! This is book one in the series and I just couldn't pass it up. I find I'm enjoying getting the first book in cozies and reading it and then deciding if it's worth continuing with. Unfortunately I seem to love them all when I need a lift of mood. So it's hard to whittle them down. Mayble something unique will hop out from the pages of this one. 

The Thistle and the Rose by Jean Plaidy (The Tudor Princesses) Tudor Saga Book Eight

 

Publication Date:

January 1, 1963

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length:   320 pages 

Series: The Tudor Princesses; Tudor Saga Book Eight

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

From the pen of the legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy comes the story of Princess Margaret Tudor, whose life of tragedy, bloodshed, and scandal would rival even that of her younger brother, Henry VIII.

Princess Margaret Tudor is the greatest prize when her father, Henry VII, negotiates the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighboring Scotland. The betrothal is meant to end decades of bloody border wars, but it becomes a love match: To Margaret’s surprise, she finds joy in her marriage to the dashing James IV of Scotland, a man sixteen years her senior. But the marriage, and the peace it brings to both nations, does not last. When King James is struck down by the armies of Henry VIII, Margaret—Princess of England, but Queen of Scotland—finds herself torn between loyalty to the land and family of her birth and to that of her baby son, now King of the Scots. She decides to remain in Scotland and carve out her own destiny, surviving a scandalous second marriage and battling with both her son and her brother to the very end. Like all the Tudors, Margaret’s life would be one of turmoil and controversy, but through her descendants, England and Scotland would unite as one nation, under one rule, and find peace.

My Thoughts:

Having read this years ago it isn't a new read for me but a re-read. I would like to read and review all of Jean Plaidy's books someday but that is quite a lofty goal. She was a prolific writer and greatly influenced my love of historical fiction. I was resistant to that genre until I discovered her books in my early 20's. This one about Margaret Tudor was one of my all time favorites. Although fairly short and straight forward it is nevertheless packed with history, depth of character, and accuracy. We get such great insight into Scottish politics and Margaret's transformation from young, naive girl to warrior queen, fighting for her family.

The summary above pretty much tells the jist of the story. I felt sorry for her in the beginning. She is so young, just thirteen when she marries James IV of Scotland and wants to please her parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. She is overshadowed by the men in the family of course as they are the heirs to the English throne but as women always were, she is used to shore up an alliance with Scotland. She braves a new home, scheming in laws and fights to stay in the lives of her children. When James is killed in 1513 at the Battle of Flodden, she becomes regent for her son.  As she matures and comes into her own she becomes more hardened and disillusioned but resolute in her will to pave her own way as best she can as a woman in the 16th century. 

I really enjoyed this book and want to continue with the Stuart series by Plaidy. The book about Margaret's sister Mary is also excellent, telling her story as Queen of France and then the wife of Charles Brandon. 

I might add that it is really hard to find good books on both Margaret and Mary because they are so overlooked being the siblings of Henry VIII. So if you want to get a good grasp on what was going on at court during the time of all the Henry drama these are a good "side" to add to more knowledge of the time. Plaidy does a great job of showing the relationship between the girls and their domineering brother who clearly adored them but had to also contend with his place as heir to England. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: Grave of the Lawgiver by Peter Treymane (A Sister Fidelma Mystery, Book 36)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Grave of the Lawgiver, by Peter Treymane. I will be honest, I have never heard of this author, his books, and got this from my Kindle list titled, "upcoming releases for you." I read a lot of cozy mysteries and historical mysteries so that's understandable. This book is number 36th of the series so I'm shocked I've never run across it! The author's bio says he is a Celtic scholar who has written over 30 books on the Ancient Celts and the Irish. 

It is so unique. That is a main reason I'm featuring it. Set in the year 673 it features an Irish sleuth named Sister Fidelma of Cashel who runs into crimes like any good mystery character. In this book she travels to the Kingdom of East Angles to find someone has murdered the "lawgiver" and burned his house down. She is subsequently accused of the crime, as is her friend, Eadulf. They must find out answers to clear their name.

I really want to see if I like this series. Of course I doubt I'll start with Book 36 but wanted to feature it as it is a series that has been around and much loved for a long time it seems. Very much reminds me of the Cadfael Chronicles which I love and am reading faithfully in order. It is set in a time period I know nothing about so hopefully I will learn some history along the way. 

I hope you've found something you can't wait to read! Happy reading ya'll!

Medieval Historical Mysteries

 

July 17, 2025

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

The year is AD 673. Fidelma accompanies Eadulf to his hometown, Seaxmund's Ham in the Kingdom of the East Angles, to be greeted with the shocking news that Eadulf's uncle, Athelnoth, the lawgiver, has been murdered and his house burnt down. And Eadulf's younger sister is missing.

The locals accuse Fidelma and Eadulf of the crimes, and Fidelma's safety is threatened by the first council of the bishops and kings of the Angles and Saxons, who wish to expel all Hibernian missionaries and teachers from the kingdoms.

Against this opposition, Fidelma and Eadulf must unite to solve one of their most complex mysteries yet.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Like To Re-Read

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is "Books I'd LIke To Re-Read." This is a great topic and I already have a few that are in a folder in my Kindle titled TBR: Re-Reads. 

When I first saw this topic posted for the week I thought I'd have a hard time whittling my list down to ten. It has been really enlightening to see the exact opposite happened! I struggled to find more than 8-9 books I'd waste time re-reading all the way through. As I thought about different books I realized there were few worth my time to read again. It also showed me just how much I must love certain ones if I've not only read them more than once but would read them again a second, third, or even fourth time! 

If they are books like cozy mysteries in a super long series or history facts type of books I'd probably never re-read them. But epics or those books that lingered in my mind I often want to go back years later and read again. I'm going to list out to the side of the titles how many times I've already read the book so far. Just to remind myself how amazing it must have been. 

I am excited to see what my fellow bloggers posted and whether or not we share certain books worth re-reading. 

Happy reading ya'll!

Click on the title to link to Goodreads if you are interested in one of these! I have also added a link if I've reviewed it and you want to see my take on why I love it so much.

1. The Sunne in Splendour   by Sharon Kay Penman (1)

2. Gone With the Wind   by Margaret Mitchell (4)-  My Review

3. And Then There Were None   by Agatha Christie (1)- My Review

4. Drums of Autumn   by Diana Gabaldon (2)

5. Lord John and the Private Matter   by Diana Gabaldon (1)

6. Celia Garth   by Gwen Bristow (1)

7. Fall of Giants   by Ken Follett (1)

8. Devil's Brood   by Sharon Kay Penman (1)- My Review

9. Victoria Victorious   by Jean Plaidy (1)

10. Susannah   by Candice F. Ransom (Lost Count!)- My Review

Susannah is a book I read in 5th grade (I don't usually read kids or YA books now) and it sparked my love of reading so much. It also sparked my love of history (at the time of the Civil War) and I was so excited to find a copy on Amazon to buy used. I even reached out to the author and she responded thanking me for telling her how much her book meant to me as a kid. It was wonderful! Have to re-read this one soon :) 

c

 

Stacking the Shelves #61

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

The Tangled Thread by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Morland Dynasty Book 10)

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99 this week

I have read two books in this series and I know the author has more set in the World War I era, Russia, and another called Ashmore Castle that is currently being written. This is book 10 of the long running 36 volume Morland Dynasty and it was on sale for 99cents. There are so many books covering all of English history chronologically. The latest book came out last year and so I'm guessing she will continue. 

I don't know if I'll read out of order but this particular book covers the Napoleonic/French Revolution era of which I am not as familiar with, and it being so cheap this week I went ahead and bought it. My experience with her other books was positive and she uses them to teach history in an interesting, easy to understand way which I really like. 

A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany by Vivian Conroy (Miss Ashford Investigates Book Three)

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99

This is a series I'm reading in order and have actually kept up with! While they aren't my absolute favorite cozies, they do take place in exotic, unusual locations which I love. I don't know anything about Tuscany except that wine vineyards come to mind when I think of it. Hopefully I'll learn about it a bit while seeing Atalanta Ashford also solve a murder. She gets to travel on the Orient Express with her friend Raoul and meet an Italian heiress. Agatha Christie vibes going there. It shopuld be fun. Great deal this week for 99 cents!

Hourly History, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life From Beginning to End

FREE with sign up to Hourly History newsletter (Free Friday books every week!)

Ya'll I have waaaayyyyy too many books and information on Eleanor. So what is the logical thing to do? Get another book on Eleanor, lol. No way can I pass it up. It was free! When you sign up for the Hourly History newsletter, each Friday they give away free, and practically free, (99 cents to $2) books. I just scroll through and pick what I want. I'm really cheap so typically I'll only take the free ones unless there is one I really, really want. 

This one popped up and I just couldn't say no. These books are meant to be read in an hour or less and give an overview of the subject. While I'm not likely to learn anything I don't already know about her, I like the refresher between novels about her that I will encounter again. She never ceases to fascinate me. 

A Leaf On the Wind of All Hallows by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander Book 8.5)

 

Publication Date:

December 3, 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length:  67 pages 

Series: Outlander

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Orphaned during World War II, Roger believed that his mother died during the London Blitz, and that his father, an RAF pilot, was killed in combat. But in An Echo in the Bone, Roger discovers that this may not be the whole story. Now, in “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows,” readers finally learn the truth.

My Thoughts: (Mild spoiler alerts! I try not to do this but it's hard to review this one without that a bit).

I originally planned to re-read all of the Outlander series in order (again, lol) a few years ago and posted that on my blog. Sadly, I am way behind. I discovered other authors with amazing long epics like Sharon Kay Penman and got sucked into another era! But that's okay because I'd already read all the Outlander books twice and am keeping up with the amazing STARZ series of course. The new prequel spin off about Jamie and Claire's parents, Outlander: Blood of My Blood,  is coming out this summer and even though it isn't based off of a particular book, Gabaldon is heavily involved in writing and production and it should be amazing.

Since I'm working my way through other books right now I decided to post a  review of this novella and skimmed it (I've already read it twice before). It's been awhile so I truly ended up reading a lot of it again. So fun to remember these details. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: Call of the Cross: A Historical Novel of Scotland by J.R. Tomlin (William the Bold Book 2)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Call of the Cross, by J.R. Tomlin. I have only read the first book in her series about The Stewarts, A King Ensnared. It was written accurately from a historical perspective, although re-reading my review I remember it did drag a bit at times. I intended to continue with the series. Now I think I'd like to go back and start at the very beginning of her books chronologically to help me better understand Scottish history. Her books run from the late 1200's to the 1500's and cover Black Douglas, Robert the Bruce, and the Stewarts prior to Mary Queen of Scots. 

Set in 1267 Scotland this series tells the story of Sir William Douglas, who goes on Crusade. I love this time period and Crusader history. I'm sure starting with book one is best though and this is book two. If going in chronological order this series might be first in the timeline. I need to find out.

This is an overlooked time period, especially in Scotland, compared to say the Mary Queen of Scots era so I'm glad she loves Scottish history enough to research and write these. I hope you have found something you can't wait to read this week. Happy reading ya'll!

Medieval Historical Fiction

Scottish Historical Fiction

 July 23, 2025

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Scotland, 1267: Sir William Douglas, hero of the Battle of Largs, rides to war again. When the Pope calls a crusade, as an honorable knight, he must answer the call. He leaves behind the conflicts of his homeland to fight for the Holy Cross. But once in the Levant, he must question if that is what he is truly fighting for.

Stacking the Shelves #60

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Death in SoHo by Emily Organ (Augusta Peel Book 1)

Amazon Kindle purchase

This author has two other series but this book was the first in this one and inexpensive and I thought it was unique in setting. I don't know anything about SoHo so it looks like a fun read! The heroine repairs old, neglected books which is fun for us book lovers and gets mixed up in a murder investigation. It is a good, light cozy for summer I'm sure.

 

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England by Sharon Bennett Connolly 

Sample downloaded (planning to purchase on Amazon Kindle with points)

Sharon Bennett Connelly is one of the hosts of my new favorite podcast, A Slice of Medieval, and the author of several great books. She is an expert on medieval history and has written several wonderful books. This one is unique, focusing on the women in an era that almost exclusively focuses on the men. Some of the people covered in this book include Ela of Salisbury, Eleanor of Brittany, and Nicholaa de la Haye. I know nothing about these women so I'm looking forward to this one. 

She has several other books focusing on women of the Norman Conquest and those in the twelfth century like Eleanor of Aquitaine.  I found seven books total on medieval women in different eras. Sometimes it is hard to get these types of books here in the U.S. especially for a deal.

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon (The Secret Detective Agency Book One)

Amazon Kindle purchase with points

I featured this book on one of my Can't Wait Wednesday posts awhile back and now I have it to read. Helena Dixon has written the Kitty Underhay mystery series and I enjoyed the first book. This is her new series about Miss Jane Treen in 1941 working as a government spy agent. The fact that her cat goes everywhere with her is a plus for me! It looks like a fun cozy read for summer. And there are more to follow if I like it.