The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders

The Secrets of Wishtide 
Kate Saunders
to be published September 13, 2016
5/5 stars

I was given this book by the Amazon Vine program in return for an honest review.

This is the first mystery in a projected series about Victorian widow Letty Rudd.  Her brother Fred, a successful barrister, occasionally provides Letty with investigative jobs that are better suited to a genteel touch than to your typical police detective.  In this case, influential Sir James Calderstone hires Letty to ferret out the past of his son's inappropriate love interest.  What begins as a simple probe into a woman's life takes a serious turn, and Letty becomes involved in a quadruple murder.

Saunders is a polished writer, and this novel was immensely readable.  It was told in the first person, in Letty's voice, in a light-hearted, but still very Victorian, tone.  The characters were immediately likable, as well as fleshed out and believable.   The plot was just convoluted enough to be enjoyable, but with the right amount of clues for the reader can solve the mystery along with Letty.

Overall, I was impressed with the Secrets of Wishtide and I look forward to the next in the series.

Jasper Fforde

From my Instagram account: Photo prompt was "book you wish ended differently".  This one!  And I have been waiting since 2009 for a sequel!

July OwlCrate!

I received my first OwlCrate today! I'm really excited about it, and about next month's!

The June "Royalty" Crate contained:

 -My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows, along with a letter and paper crown sent by the authors

 -a truly beautiful bracelet handmade by Rich Love Shoppe

 -a mini mystery Funko. I got Merida from Brave. (If anyone would like to trade with me, I'd love Cinderella, the mouse, Belle, Cogsworth, Jasmine or Rajah.)

 -adorable magnetic bookmarks from Craftedvan. (I have more on order from them!)

 -a small print based on Red Queen by Evie Seo

Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang

Half a Lifelong Romance
Eileen Chang
3/5 stars

I was given this book by the Amazon Vine program in return for an honest review.

Half a Lifelong Romance was originally published in China in 1951, and is being translated into English for the first time. It follows the thwarted romance of a couple living in Shanghai in the 1930's.

The reader knows from the first page that the romance between Manzhen and Shijun was not a happy one and there is an air of melancholy from the first sentence ("He and Manzhen had met. . . a long time ago.") that continues throughout the book. Chang has done an excellent job in setting that mood and evoking the emotions that go with it.

The pace is slow, due to the massive amount of details given. These details cause the reader to become completely immersed in the lives of, as well as in the culture of, the characters. However, at times the details become overwhelming and detract from the flow of the story.

Overall, it is an exceptionally well written book, but is a very slow read.

Note: This is my opinion; on Amazon, 55% of the reviews were 4 stars.

On a personal note: I had looked forward to this book all year, after reading about it before it was published.  I've tried to get my library to buy it so I could read it and finally put it on my to-buy list.  When I started reviewing again and it was available, I was thrilled.  Imagine my disappointment when this much anticipated book turned out to be such a reading quagmire.  I gave it three stars because she is an excellent writer, but her style was not for me!

Dark Assassin by Anne Perry

Dark Assassin
Book 15 in the William Monk series
Anne Perry
3/5 stars

The William Monk series follows a format: Monk investigates; Hester helps; Rathbone takes the case to trial; Monk saves the day.  I don't have a problem with these novels being formulaic, as Perry's writing is excellent, the mysteries intelligent and the overall plot interesting.  In Dark Assassin, however, the pieces don't fully click and the story just isn't stellar.  It's still well written, and, due to the intensity of some of the plot, the novel should be exciting.  However, at times I found it slow going and dull, and found the mystery to be mediocre.

 I was also somewhat disappointed in the ending. One part was neatly tied up (so that no one had to deal with the repercussions of some wrong decisions) and the other part was left hanging for the reader to assume that somehow that mess got cleared up.

I can't say I disliked it--and I was thrilled with the Runcorn situation--but I have to say it was "just okay".  Luckily, most readers will be reading these in order (as they should be read to understand the relationship dynamics of the series) and will know that this wasn't typical of Perry's mysteries.

This is, of course, just my opinion.  On Amazon, 44% of the reviews were 5 star and 45% were 4 star.

Cliffhanger

From my Instagram account: the prompt for this photo was "ended on a cliffhanger".  I'm glad I didn't have to wait a year for it to be released!

Foundations of Chinese Civilization

Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE) 
Jing Liu
series: Understanding China Through Comics

• Age Range: 11 - 17 years
• Grade Level: 6 - 12

3/5 stars

I was given this book by the Amazon Vine program in return for an honest review.

This first volume of  Foundations of Chinese Civilization covers the earliest known history of China.  It is told in graphic novel format.  The font is excellent and the illustrations good.  The book covers the history, philosophies, and education systems of the time. 

 It is packed full of facts, but it is sadly dull.*  It comes alive when it focuses on one person, such as Confucius or Cai Lun, but when the book is giving general history, it is as dry as any text book.  It certainly gives an amazing amount of information in it's 155 pages,  but I feel that it will be a chore for most people to read, especially the intended audience.

*Please don't accuse me of not understanding history books.  I have a B.A. in history, and I know that it can be made lively and interesting.

Note: This is my opinion; on Amazon, 82% of the reviews were 5 stars.