Stacking the Shelves #105

 

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. Happy reading y'all!

Click on the cover to learn more about the book!

Highgate Rise by Anne Perry (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Book 11)

Libby borrrow: Free

It's time to start the next Anne Perry book and since I tend to rotate them, the Pitt novels are up! In this one, Inspector Thomas Pitt must solve the mystery of who set fire to the home of a well respected doctor. His wife, who dies in the fire, at first seems an unlikely victim but as Pitt and his wife Charlotte start to investigate the couple's relatives and social circles they find a much different story. I am glad there are many of Perry's books left to read, they are such great mysteries and maintain a wonderful authenticity of setting in Victorian England.

The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner 

Hoopla Digital borrow: Free

Several of my book blogger friends have said Gortner's novels are excellent. He seems to be known for historical accuracy which I have to have in my historical fiction. I am fascinated with Queen Isabella, the mother of Katherine of Aragon, and I don't know much about her. Hopefullly book will give me a good grasp of her life within a well written and entertaining narrative. 

The Squandered Crown by David Field (The Wars of the Roses Saga Book Two)

Kindle purchase: Pre-order delivery 99 cents

Field's books are great for learning about history within an interesting storyline. He links his characters to each other generationally and that makes you more invested in their story even though they are often fictional. This is the second book in his Wars of the Roses saga. I am way behind with his books and need to start this series soon. I am still trying to finish two other books from his previous series about the founding of England, The Medieval Saga, because I just have to read in order.

The Harlot of St. Cecelia's by Darcy Graves (An Inspector Garrett Mystery Book One)

 

Publication Date:

October 1, 2026

Genre: 

Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

Length:  

312 pages

Series:

An Inspector Garrett Mystery

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

England, 1923. The war is over but not forgotten, and in the cloistered corridors of a university town just outside London, life has resumed its careful performance of normality, with faculty politics, reading circles, and theatre productions.

Into this world comes Eden Brior: an American librarian, sharp-eyed and perpetually out of step, who came to England looking for her lost brother but has made her quiet life among the stacks of St. Cecelia's.

A trying evening becomes considerably worse when she and the charming, impossible Simon Cross are accidentally locked in the bookvault, and a French actress turns up dead in the nave upstairs.

Eden is a witness. She may also be a suspect. And Inspector William Garrett, who has seen everything, has not quite seen anything like her.

Witty, vivid, and steeped in the textures of postwar English life, The Harlot of St. Cecelia's is a mystery that earns its place on your shelf through character: the people who loved the victim, the ones who didn't, and the ones who aren't quite sure.

My Thoughts:

First in a series is always tricky....you want to give the author a chance to develop the characters and so I always go in with an open mind, ready to try book two. This story was not super exciting for me though and I haven't committed to continuing with it yet. But I do like to give things a chance so maybe eventually. The premise sounded interesting, murder in a library, love triangle, set in the 1920's. I usually love these types of mysteries. 

Unfortunately, I found myself just trying so hard to care about the characters and I just didn't. They felt flat to me. Part of me had an impression of Inspector Garrett that didn't bear out (can't say without spoilers!) and I found that the book started strong with the librarian Eden as the main focus only to kind of let her go towards the end of the first half. I kept thinking, "why did we quit talking about her, she was very interesting!" After continuing I decided I enjoyed the mystery part of the story, just not the character development. No one really stood out to me like in some books where you might have the quirky sidekick or someone with a loveable pet. 

The writing was good and I thought the setting was portrayed accurately so this was not a total loss of reading time. I just don't think I'm invested enough with the characters to continue though. 

Stacking the Shelves #104

 

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. Happy reading y'all!

Click on the cover to learn more about the book!

Queen of Trial and Sorrow by Susan Appleyard

Hoopla Digital borrow: free

I can't believe in all my searches for books about historical figures I've not yet run across this author. I've already started this one and it's fantastic! It is essentially the same type of book as Philippa Gregory's The White Queen, covering the life of Elizabeth Woodville and her adventurous journey through the Wars of the Roses. It is written in first person and draws you in immediately through her relationship with King Edward IV and her desperation after the death of her first husband. The great thing is that this author has multiple books on other topics and people that look just as promising. 

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot Book 36)

Libby Audiobook borrow: Free

I didn't know Christie had written a Halloween book and was even more excited to find out it was with Poirot as the lead detective. I love listening to these in the car with Hugh Fraser as the narrator. In this book, a young girl is found drowned in a barrel at a party where they were playing an apple bobbing game. As Poirot digs into the girl's life and the party guest list he finds she may not have been beloved and may have witnessed another murder herself, prompting someone to want her dead. A good one just in time for October.  

Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Menuhin (Heathcliff Lennox Book One)

Kindle Purchase: $2.99 this week 

This cover made me stop and look, as did the price and the fact that it is book one in a series I haven't tried. I also love the 1920's mysteries with male inspectors for a change. This will be a good one to get ready for Christmas posts. When Major Lennox finds a body on his doorstep it leads him to his uncle's country estate just in time for snow and more murder. The synopsis says "Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie with a touch of Wodehouse and a dog of distinction." I love it already!

Death From High Places by Benedict Brown (Lord Edgington Investigates Book 1.5)

 

Publication Date:

January 24, 2022

Genre: 

Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

Length:  

84 pages

Series:

Lord Edgington Investigates

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

Lord Edgington of Cranley Hall has some living to do. The next item to cross off on his list of grand ambitions is a serene balloon flight above his palatial estate. But, after a man falls to his death, the pleasant pursuit is interrupted, and the esteemed detective suspects foul play.

With the help of his hapless grandson, their loyal golden retriever and a couple of parachutes, Lord Edgington must solve the murder before the meddlesome police arrive to take control of the case. But, when all of the suspects seem like such nice chaps, it's awfully difficult to spot a killer.

My Thoughts: 

This was the perfect book for me this week. I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. Overthinking my choices, feeling guilty I'm not reading or blogging as much. But I've just returned to teaching after a very long ten month medical leave and so it's been a lot. So this short, cute novella featuring some characters I love was the perfect way to jump start myself. 

Lord Edgington just wants to take a nice, quiet balloon ride but thanks to his grandson Albert's friends it doesn't quite turn out that way. Luckily, his other grandson, Christopher is there to help when a man falls to his death the day of the balloon ride. It appears his parachute did not open when he jumped from the balloon and Lord Edgington wants to know why before the pesky local police arrive. Being a former high ranking police official himself, he knows a thing or two about investigations and Christopher is a great assistant.

They interview the usual suspects and discover love triangles and resentments along with a killer that didn't fit their initial expectations. Throughout the story, Brown inserts his usual humor and sarcasm, especially within Christopher's thoughts, and he accurately portrays the way an awkward teen would feel around his older brother's much more beautiful, sophisticated friends. Brown also does a great job in his stories with setting. I do feel like I'm in England in the 1920's on holiday at a great country house, which is where most of his stories take place. The relationship between grandfather and grandson is sweet and subtle and very English. Lord Edgington does not suffer fools and secretly likes how Christopher is the only family member willing to take risks and come along for the ride with him- this time literally in a balloon. 

I will be continuing with this series. In some respects it is your typical 1920's cozy English mystery but I find it to be a bit more unique and authentic than some of the others. If you like your books clean with charming characters and challenging mysteries you will enjoy these books!

Poison in Piccadilly by Kelly Oliver (A Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery Book Six)

Publication Date:

September 14, 2024

Genre: 

Historical Fiction

Length:  

256 pages

Series:

Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane

Book description courtesy of Amazon:

1918 London

Is Fiona Figg ready to exchange her sleuthing cap for a bridal veil? 

Fiona is set to tie the knot with her dashing flyboy, Archie Somersby. But, while Fiona is busy planning her happily ever after, side-kick Kitty Lane and a group of judo-chopping suffragettes are kicking up trouble at the Piccadilly Jujitsu Club. 

When Kitty is found unconscious in the locker room during a high-stakes competition, Fiona must forsake her bouquets and bridal gown to investigate. Her sleuthing leads to a posh lady's luncheon where a mysterious death crashes Fiona's wedding plans. 

To make matters worse, the arch-nemesis of all things matrimonial, Fredrick Fredricks is up to his old tricks, attempting to put the brakes on Fiona's journey down the aisle. Will he succeed in tripping up Fiona's wedding vows? Or will she finally say "I don't" to the charming devil?

With humor as sharp as a judo chop and suspense as tight as a wedding corset, Poison in Piccadilly invites you to matrimonial mayhem that will have you saying "I do" to laughter and "forever more" to page-turning suspense. 

The book features real life suffragettes Sylvia Pankhurst and her bodyguards trained by Edith Garrud, who taught them jujitsu, which became known as Suffrajitsu.

My Thoughts:

This is the final book in the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane mystery series. It was a lot of fun and although it's not deep reading I don't care....these stories are just fun and light and I'm such a fan of the covers. On audiobook they are especially great driving to and from work for a lightheartedness to get you through your day. I am going to miss Fiona, Kitty, Archie, Clifford, Fredricks, and the little dog, Poppy, but something tells me Oliver left the door open for another sequel some day.

In this story we stay in England which wasn't as much fun for me but that's okay, I think she wanted to end up where the story started. Fiona is shocked when her friend Kitty is found unconscious at the Piccadilly jujitsu club and is determined to find out what happened. Then a second murder occurs and she knows there is more to the story. As she investigates while also planning her wedding to Archie, Fiona realizes she might not be as sure of her commitment to him as she once thought. Then Fredricks shows up to confuse her even more. We spend the whole book wondering which man she will end up with and start to see more of Archie's secretive activities. She does her best to find out who would want her friend harmed and another woman killed and to fight her feelings for Fredricks. 

I thought the mystery part of the story was a bit slow and truth be told I wasn't terribly interested in the whole jujitsu thing. But that's a personal preference, the story was still entertaining. The ending made up for it and I thought she did a great job of wrapping up the series. I would like to start her newest one starring THE Agatha Christie solving crimes of her own. 

Stacking the Shelves #103

 

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. Happy reading y'all!

Click on the cover to learn more about the book!

Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth Century Europe by Sarah Gristwood 

Kindle purchase: $1.99 

This book by an author I featured last week is a study of the most powerful women of the sixteenth century, during a time when women were not likely to rule much. From Isabella of Castile to Elizabeth Tudor this study of powerful women rulers looks like an interesting read. And not just because they are women, but because they shaped history in their time. I like books that include many historical figures and give an overall snapshot of their lives and accomplishments. 

Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen by Joanna Arman

Kindle purchase: 99 cents

Pen and Sword history has some of the best books from England that I want to read so badly but often I can't get them here in the U.S. or they are incredibly expensive. When I ran across this book today I was so excited! I'd featured it a long time ago on my Can't Wait Wednesday post and now it is available for a great discount. Matilda II from Scotland, wife of Henry I is a queen that is rarely written about and I love to learn about the more obscure royals and events that don't get a lot of attention. And also, look at that gorgeous cover! This is one book I'm going to put on my TBR list. 

A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry (An Elena Standish Novel Book Two) 

Kindle purchase: $1.99

There are five books in the Elena Standish series and I now own the first two. Anne Perry is one of my favorite authors and since she passed away not long ago I'm glad I still have a long way to go with all her many books.  In this series, set between WWI and WWII, the heroine becomes involved in her first mission for MI16 British intelligence during the Mussolini years. Perry is so adept at combining real historical events with mystery, intrigue, and authentic settings. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Harlot of St. Cecilia's by Darcy Graves (Inspector Garrett Book One)

 For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Harlot of St. Cecilia's, by Darcy Graves. This is book one of the series, Inspector Garrett. I have not heard of it or this author which is probably what made me request it. That and the cover which is gorgeous. Yes, it is another cozy, historical mystery set in the 1920's but this time it involves a librarian as the main character. Just my kind of story! It looks like a fun read and with my back to school tired teacher brain I need fun and easy to read. 

Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

October 1, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

England, 1923. The war is over but not forgotten, and in the cloistered corridors of a university town just outside London, life has resumed its careful performance of normality, with faculty politics, reading circles, and theatre productions.

Into this world comes Eden Brior: an American librarian, sharp-eyed and perpetually out of step, who came to England looking for her lost brother but has made her quiet life among the stacks of St. Cecelia's.

A trying evening becomes considerably worse when she and the charming, impossible Simon Cross are accidentally locked in the bookvault, and a French actress turns up dead in the nave upstairs.

Eden is a witness. She may also be a suspect. And Inspector William Garrett, who has seen everything, has not quite seen anything like her.

Witty, vivid, and steeped in the textures of postwar English life, The Harlot of St. Cecelia's is a mystery that earns its place on your shelf through character: the people who loved the victim, the ones who didn't, and the ones who aren't quite sure.

A cozy mystery in the tradition of Dorothy Sayers, Jacqueline Winspear and Kerry Greenwood, this book is for readers who like: historical mysteries, intrepid heroines, morally grey charmers, and the golden age of detective fiction.

The first novel in the Garrett Mystery series.

Stacking the Shelves #102

 

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. Happy reading y'all!

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood 

Kindle purchase: 49 cents with points

Goodreads says "The true story of Philippa Gregory's The White Queen" for the summary of this book. While I know some complain that Gregory's books  aren't historically accurate, this author's is because it is not historical fiction. It covers everyone in the Wars of the Roses from Anne Neville to Margaret Beaufort. I look forward to reading it and seeing what new things I uncover about all these women. 

Poison in Piccadilly by Kelly Oliver (A Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery Book Six)

Libby audiobook borrow: Free

This is the last book in the FIona Figg series. After that I'd like to begin Oliver's Agatha Christie series. These are fun to listen to in the car and while doing chores. I like the recurring characters and keep waiting to see if Fiona will ditch Archie for her much more charming and exciting nemesis, Fredrick Fredricks. Since this is the end of the series I know we are going to find out soon!

Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden (Emperor Book One)

Kindle purchase: $1.99 

I enjoyed the first two books by Iggulden in the Wars of the Roses series and need to finish the other two. I grabbed this book because I want to eventually read a series about Rome and Julius Caesar even though it isn't my favorite subject. I just think I should try to learn something of that time period. Hopefully this series is good by a solid author. Learning in an entertaining way is my motto with most of my reading.

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon (Lord John Grey Book One)

 

Publication Date:

September 30, 2003

Genre: 

Historical Fiction

Length:  

368 pages

Series:

Lord John Grey

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London’s Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty’s Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something more.... the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor.

Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society — and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London’s night-world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything — or nothing.

The early days of the Seven Years War come brilliantly to life in this historical mystery by an author whose unique and compelling storytelling has engrossed millions of readers worldwide.

My Thoughts:

This is the second read of this book for me. I read it years ago before I had my blog and my goal is to review all of Gabaldon's books eventually. I thought I really needed to re-read it to make sure I remembered it. I absolutely love the character of Lord John from the big Outlander books and am anxiously awaiting STARZ to get on it and give him a spinoff show already based on these books!! If you've not read any Outlander books I would not start with the Lord John ones. At least try to read the first three Outlander books because I just don't think I'd have appreciated these spinoffs without the background knowledge provided in the "originals." But if you are like me, you will fall in love with Lord John and want to know what he is up to in his own personal and military life.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Case of the Christie Honeymoon Murder by Kelly Oliver (A Detection Club Mystery Book Five)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Case of the Christie Honeymoon Murder, by Kelly Oliver. I haven't started this series yet because I have one more mystery to finish from her Fiona Figg series. I think this book will be a lot of fun as Agatha Christie and her new husband, Max travel down the Nile amid politics and murder. 

Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

September 26, 2026

Book description courtesy of Net Galley

Agatha Christie’s latest book, The Seven Dials, has set the literary world alight. With a new marriage to Max Mallowan and a honeymoon cruise down the Nile ahead, she’s looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. But the publication has also drawn the attention of the Secret Service, who have spotted strange coincidences within its pages.

When Eliza Baker, assistant to the secretary of the Detection Club, is asked to accompany Agatha Christie and her husband, she reluctantly agrees, determined to help clear her friend’s name. Yet her attention soon shifts to fellow passengers, the Hardwicke family, who are celebrating a daughter’s birthday aboard. And when a guest is found dead in his cabin, the idyllic voyage takes a deadly turn.

As the steamer drifts upriver, Eliza and Theo must sift through polite smiles and private grievances to find the truth. Can Eliza and Theo uncover the truth before the Nile claims its next victim?