Food & Drink, Historical, Non Fiction

Eating with the Tudors by Brigitte Webster

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Eating with the Tudors is an extensive collection of authentic Tudor recipes that tell the story of a dramatically changing world in sixteenth-century England. This book highlights how religion, reformation and politics influenced what was served on a Tudor’s dining table from the very beginning of Henry VII’s reign to the final days of Elizabeth I’s rule.

Discover interesting little food snippets from Tudor society, carefully researched from household account books, manuscripts, letters, wills, diaries and varied works by Tudor physicians, herbalists and chronologists. Find out about the Tudor’s obsession with food and uncover which key ingredients were the most popular choice. Rediscover old Tudor favourites that once again are being celebrated in trendy restaurants and learn about the new, exotic food that excited and those foods that failed to meet the Elizabethan expectations.

Eating with the Tudors explains the whole concept of what a healthy balanced meal meant to the people of Tudor England and the significance and symbology of certain food and its availability throughout the year. Gain an insight into the world of Tudor food, its role to establish class, belonging and status and be tempted to re-create some iconic Tudor flavours and experience for yourself the many varied and delicious seasonal tastes that Tudor dishes have to offer. Spice up your culinary habits and step back in time to recreate a true Tudor feast by impressing your guests the Tudor way or prepare a New Year’s culinary gift fit for a Tudor monarch.

My Thoughts

Serious foodie historians will adore this engaging and well-written history of food in Tudor times. There’s an interesting overlay with 20th/21st century nutrition with Tudor food preparation and consumption, paired with a fascinating look at who ate what and when. It’s fascinating to read about how cooks and people in general were trying to understand the properties of food and how different foods affected different people. There was a lot of superstition associated with food preparation and consumption, which adds another layer of interest to the narrative.

I also had no idea the Church controlled so much of what, when, and how people ate. The restrictions associated with all the holy days were just mind-boggling!

Recommended for large library collections, serious foodies, and anyone who prepares food at the Renaissance Festival!

Publication Date: July 30, 2023
Published By: Pen & Sword
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

British, Cozy, Mystery, Suspense, Women

A Scrap of Silk by Virginia King INDIE PICK!

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A surprise inheritance.

A locked cellar.

A shocking secret from her family’s past …

When 30-year-old mystery author Tiggy Jones inherits an old boathouse in Devon from the grandmother she never knew, her shock turns to excitement.

But she’s walking into a labyrinth of clues that hint at a long-hidden secret.

A series of anonymous threats become increasingly menacing. Who is trying to stop her investigations?

As her new life unravels, what horrors will she uncover from her family’s past?

And will she survive them?

A Scrap of Silk is Book 1 in the addictive new Tiggy Jones Mystery Series.

Cancel a couple of night’s sleep and get it now.

My Thoughts

I always enjoy a new mystery series, and Virginia King has made me a fan with this mysterious, semi-creepy, and generally fun book. She has given readers a very appealing protagonist in Tiggy Jones, and dropped her into Topsham, a veritable bed of intrigue. The component of the mysterious locked cellar is handled nicely, even though it turns into a gruesome and sad story.

There are a lot of characters introduced throughout the story, which I did find a bit of a challenge to keep straight, but it all worked out in the end with a deliciously witty and ingenious narrative. I initially labeled this a “cozy” mystery, but there were definitely some dark traces included in the story, especially the diabolical antagonist. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a commupance quite so much! Well done.

Publication Date: June 30, 2023
Published By: BooksGoSocial
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Action Adventure, Horror, Makes You Think, Mystery, Suspense

Tides of Fire by James Rollins

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

In the latest riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an international research station in the Coral Sea comes under siege during a geological disaster that triggers massive quakes, deadly tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. To stop the world from burning, it’s up to Sigma Force to uncover a secret buried at the heart of our planet.

The Titan Project—an international research station off the coast of Australia—discovers a thriving zone of life in an otherwise dead sea. The area teems with a strange bioluminescent coral that defies science, yet holds great promise for the future. But the loss of a military submarine in the area triggers a brutal attack and sets in motion a geological disaster that destabilizes an entire region.

Massive quakes, volcanic eruptions, and deadly tsunamis herald a greater cataclysm to come—for something is stirring miles under the ocean, a threat hidden for millennia. 

As seas turn toxic and coastlines burn, can Sigma Force stop what has been let loose—especially as an old adversary returns, hunting them and thwarting their every move? For any hope of success, Commander Gray Pierce must search for a key buried in the past, hidden deep in Aboriginal mythology. But what Sigma could uncover is even more frightening—something that will shake the very foundations of humanity.

My Thoughts

I’ve been reading Rollin’s work for a long time and he is one of the few authors out there whose work never gets stale. While every book has the basic plot of “save the world from catastrophe,” Rollins continually serves up wildly inventive and interesting plots. In Tides of Fire, he blends extraterrestrial mysteries with the just-as-mysterious deep ocean environment on earth to spin as captivating a tale as I’ve ever read.

I always learn new things as I read Rollins’ work, and this round I learned a heck of a lot about deep ocean creatures and the early existence of our planet. Could the Dumbo Octopus be any cuter or the Viper Fish any more terrifying?

Rollins peoples Tides of Fire with the usual cast of characters, including one we all thought was a goner after his adventures in previous books. The relationship between Gray and Seichan continues to evolve, and we get a glimpse of her mysterious past here, which is a nice addition to the series. There is non-stop action from the first chapter straight through to the end.

And that epilogue! Mr. Rollins, get that next book out as soon as possible. Please!

Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Uncategorized

Death Takes a Bath by Sharon Lyn

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

August 14-25, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Description

When Maddie McGuire lands an archeology internship at the Roman Baths in England, she assumes everything will go her way. But when this college sophomore discovers a severed human ear on her doorstep, she must solve its meaning before she becomes the next victim, or worse, gets deported. Her tentative friendship with young constable Edward and the beauty of the Bath Abbey are no comfort as her aristocratic coworker Simon sabotages her every move. And the danger only increases when she discovers a dead body, both ears intact.

My Thoughts

There are a lot of boxes ticked here for fans of cozy British mysteries. There’s an appealing protagonist, an attractive police officer, an annoying aristocrat, an unusual and clever mystery, and a lovely setting. Lynn makes an auspicious debut with the first in her Cotswold Crimes series.

Maddie is a fun protagonist whose youth and modern maturity will appeal to teen mystery fans looking to make the transition to adult mystery novels. She is smart, independent, and unafraid to stand up for what’s right. I hope to see her in future entries in this series.

Peppered with historical facts about the Roman Baths and the Abbey, the narrative is well-constructed and balanced. The characters are nicely developed and the plot moves along to a twisted ending.

Fans of Paige Shelton’s Scottish Bookstore mysteries and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series will certainly enjoy this lively debut. I’ll be recommending this to mystery readers.

Praise for Death Takes a Bath:

“A whale of a read! Dip your toe into Death Takes a Bath, and you won’t come out until you’ve reached ‘the end.” A highly recommended page-turner with archaeology, intrigue, an intrepid heroine, a dishy policeman, and . . . a rabbit.” 
~ Molly MacRae, Author: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series

“An exciting page-turner! It captured my attention from the first line and kept me riveted until the final twist.” 
~ Avanti Centrae, international bestselling author of Cleopatra’s Vendetta

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery/Cozy
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date:
Number of Pages:
ISBN: 978-1685122423 (ISBN-10: 1685122426)
Series: A Cotswold Crimes Mystery, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub | Goodreads

Book Short Links:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/43450XP 
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/3PFCOYb 
BookBub – https://bit.ly/3r9ZA0r 
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3PBzXjf

Author Bio:

Sharon Lynn

Sharon Lynn was raised in Arizona, but it was living in England as a teenager and every return trip since that inspired the setting of her Cotswold Crimes Mystery series. As a professor of theater, film, and writing she coaches and mentors aspiring artists. Her short stories can be found in anthologies from Malice Domestic and Desert Sleuths. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Please sign up for her newsletter at http://www.sharonlwrites.com and http://www.blackbirdwriters.com.

Catch Up With Sharon Lynn:
www.sharonlwrites.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @sharonlwrites
Instagram – @sharonlwrites
Twitter – @sharonlwrites
Facebook – @SharonLWrites
AllAuthor.com

Action Adventure, Children's, Detective, Fantasy, Mystery

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . . 

My Thoughts

A bounty hunter called The Lilac who also happens to be a witty, clever, capable detective? Yes please!

Lila and Dulcinetta are a set of tag team adventurers who find themselves smack in the middle of a locked-room murder mystery. They manage to outsmart the bad guys, solve the mystery, and save the day while barely breaking a sweat.

While the characters are familiar from earlier Healy books, this one can stand on its own. The writing is irreverent and somewhat silly at times and could certainly be a gateway to Terry Pratchett’s work for young readers.

Published By: Harper Collins Childrens Books; Golden Pond Books
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

British, Detective, Historical, Mystery, Victorian

Immortalized to Death by Lyn Squire

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Death strikes England’s foremost novelist Charles Dickens, his latest tale only half told. Was he murdered because someone feared a ruinous revelation? Or was it revenge for some past misdeed? Set in the Kent countryside and London slums of 1870, Lyn Squire’s “Immortalised to Death” (Level Best Books, September 26th, 2023) reveals the ending to Charles Dickens’s unfinished “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” while diving deep into Dickens’ evolving and ultimately tragic double life.

Debut author Lyn Squire kicks off his electrifying Dunston Burnett Trilogy with legendary Victorian novelist Charles Dickens dead at his desk, pen still in hand. The mystery unravels as Dickens’ nephew and unlikely detective Dunston Burnett, tries to find the solution of his uncles’ unfinished novel. Convinced that the identity of Dickens’ murderer lies in the book’s missing conclusion, Dunston becomes obsessed with investigating those closest to Dickens. A stunning revelation crowns this tale about the mysterious death of England’s foremost novelist, and the long-held secret hidden in his half-finished manuscript.

The deft plotting will remind readers of Agatha Christie and the evocative prose will have them questioning which parts of the book are fiction and nonfiction. Squire seamlessly reimagines Dickens’ untimely death and final unfinished story while tying it neatly into a thrilling whodunnit. Is Dunston Burnett, a diffident, middle-aged, retired bookkeeper, able to crack the case of his uncle’s murder, or does he only find buried secrets in his brilliant continuation to Dickens’ novel?

My Thoughts

One of my favorite forms of the mystery novel are those that feature familiar characters from history or from other novels. In this case, it is the murder of Charles Dickens that kicks off one of the most unexpected and inventive mysteries I’ve read recently.

Squire’s introduction of Dunston Burnett as the family member turned accidental detective sets off as twisty a mystery as a reader could wish for, peppered with witty dialog, just-right narrative description, and an eyebrow-raising ending.

Immortalised to Death is an auspicious debut and left me looking forward to the next entry in the Dunston Burnett series. I’ll be recommending this novel and author to fans of historical mysteries.

Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Published By: Level Best Books
Thanks to the author for the review copy

About the Author

LYN SQUIRE was born in Cardiff, South Wales. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wales, his master’s at the London School of Economics and his doctorate at Cambridge University.

Lyn is now an American citizen living in Virginia. During a twenty-five year career at the World Bank, Lyn published over thirty articles and several books within his area of expertise. Lyn also served as editor of the Middle East Development Journal for over a decade, and was the founding president of the Global Development Network, an organization dedicated to supporting promising scholars from the developing world.

Lyn has always been an avid reader of whodunits and has reviewed scores of mysteries for the City Book Review (Sacramento, CA), but it was the thrill of solving Charles Dickens’ unfinished ‘Mystery of Edwin Drood’ that convinced him to put aside his development pen and turn to fiction. Finding a solution to the mystery has attracted massive interest since the author’s death in 1870. A 1998 bibliography lists over 2,000 entries, with continuations ranging from the obvious (a Sherlock Holmes pastiche) to the absurd (The Mysterious Mystery of Rude Dedwin). Lyn’s version of what happened to Edwin is revealed in his first novel, Immortalised to Death. The adventures of his protagonist, Dunston Burnett, a non-conventional amateur detective, continue in Fatally Inferior and The Séance of Murder, the second and third stories in The Dunston Burnett Trilogy.

Find more about Lyn on his website.

http://www.booksforward.com | 3014 Dauphine Street, Suite E,
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Corrine Pritchett | corrine@booksforward.com

Fantasy, Ghosties, Horror, Magical, Makes You Think, Mystery, New Releases, Psychological

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothiccomes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film—and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

My Thoughts

Moreno-Garcia keeps turning out macabre, nightmarish stories that explore the darkest reaches of the human psyche. Silver Nitrate explores the needs and desires of two flawed friends who move through life dodging memories and resentments. Their shared love of old horror movies and their own skills in acting and sound editing open a door to a true nightmare.

The exploration of film as the vehicle for possession and magic is such an apt allegory of the Hollywood experience. Moreno-Garcia lays bare the superficiality of the film business combined with the insatiable desire of those in that industry for power, love, money, and youth.

I’d love to see this as a film directed by Quentin Tarantino because Moreno-Garcia writes like he directs.

What a wild ride.

Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Published By: Random House Publishing Group; Ballantine, Del Rey
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General, Makes You Think, New Releases, Romance, Women

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The list he left had just one item on it. Or, at least, it did at first…

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He died: softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it though: ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents. Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot.

What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

A completely heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting story, guaranteed to make you smile but also make you cry. Perfect for fans of My Name is Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and The Keeper of Stories.Readers are absolutely loving The Last List of Mabel Beaumont:

My Thoughts

I typically avoid books that are described as “heartbreaking” but something made me pick this one up anyway. The story is one of the most poignant I’ve read in a long time and peels back the veil that so many women have lived behind for decades, especially those who grew up in the early to mid-20th century when certain relationships were so very taboo.

This truly is a story about the power and sustainability of women’s friendships and ultimately their love and desire. Mabel lived 62 years with a man with whom she was comfortable but didn’t really love. It’s not until his death that she feels finally able to begin living her life.

There is heartbreak here, but it is banished by immense joy, love, and friendship. This lovely book may become a favorite for many people.

‘This beautifully written story of friendship, love, loss and second chances captured my heart. It’s a tender and uplifting read and I adored Mabel and her unlikely gang of colourful characters. If you enjoy a book that leaves you feeling warm, hopeful, and satisfied, The Last List of Mabel Beaumont is definitely for you.’ Lisa Timoney, author

Publication Date: August 4, 2023
Published By: Boldwood Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Magical, Magical Realism, Witches, Women

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts—and where death is always just around the bend.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed schoolteacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Written with the devilish cadence of Stephen Graham Jones and the pulse-pounding brutality of Nick Cutter, Red Rabbit is a supernatural adventure of luck and misfortune.

“Impossible to put down.” —Kelly Link, author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Get In Trouble

My Thoughts

Imagine if Stephen King wrote The Sisters Brothers; you would have this unexpectedly bewitching yet unceasingly horrifying story. Truly unlike anything I’ve read recently, author Alex Grecian blends an American Old West posse story with witch-hunters, demons, ghouls, ghosts, shapeshifters, and witches to create one of the best horror stories I’ve read in years.

The premise is basic to the genre – suspicious and frightened townspeople put out a bounty on the local witch with disastrous consequences. Everything else is completely off the rails, making this oddly refreshing.

The success here lies in the excellent character development that Grecian weaves throughout. From the mail-order-bride Rose who is made of sterner stuff than anyone imagines, to the apparently mute girl-child who is so much more than she seems, to the variety of cowboy caricatures who appear throughout – all elicit some level of pity or admiration from the reader. I was especially drawn to The Huntsman and would love a follow up book about him!

The narrative moves quickly and is filled with remarkably visceral description and dialog, and more than a few surprises, all leading up to a spectacular ending. Fans of horror and history will enjoy the ride.

This one will make my “Best Of” list for 2023.

Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Published By: Tor Publishing; Tor Nightfire
Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for the review copy

General, Makes You Think, Mystery, Non Fiction

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century: the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. • “The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing.”—The New Yorker

“Enthralling.” —The Wall Street Journal

In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.

For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.

In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.

This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.

My Thoughts

An art thief who steals for the beauty and not the profit? And one who has standards regarding when and how the theft will occur? This is such an odd but utterly engrossing story that features one man who is so enamored of beauty that he amassed an unmatched collection of stolen art just to see the beauty every day.

This reminded me a bit of Art & Craft, the documentary about Mark Landis, a prolific art forger. The psychological aspect of what both these men accomplished through their theft has to be the stuff of legends.

The writing is engaging and a bit bombastic, but the incredible truth to this story sucks you in and keeps you reading to the last page. True crime fans will surely eat this up.

Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Published By: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy