The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (The Ill-Mannered Ladies #1) by Alison Goodman, 464 p.

"Lady Augusta Colebrook, "Gus," is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend's goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline's country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can't stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins."--Amazon blurb

This has been on my to-read list since it was published, and I wish I hadn't waited so long! I loved Gus and Julia so much. They are the type of characters you love to love, but there were definitely characters you loved to hate in this book as well! Very well-written and paced, it was adventurous, fun, yet emotional story. Can't wait for the next in the series.

 

Her Last Goodbye by Melinda Leigh

Her Last Goodbye by Melinda Leigh - 446 pages

Young mother Chelsea Clark leaves the house for a girls’ night out…and vanishes. Her family knows she would never voluntarily leave her two small children. Her desperate husband—also the prime suspect—hires Morgan to find his wife and prove his innocence.

As a single mother, Morgan sympathizes with Chelsea’s family and is determined to find her. She teams up with private investigator Lance Kruger. But the deeper they dig, the deadlier their investigation gets. When Morgan is stalked by a violent predator, everything—and everyone—she holds dear is in grave danger.

Very, Very Suspenseful.

Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King

Island of the Mad: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King - 306 pages including Author's Note and Acknwlegements

The latest installment in the series that began with The Beekeeper's Apprentice.  

Russell is asked by a friend from her college days to find out whether the friend’s aunt (a wealthy heiress) has disappeared of her own free will, has been kidnapped, or has suffered another mental breakdown.

Russell’s search for Vivian Beaconsfield leads her from Bedlam Hospital to Venice. Fortuitously, her husband Sherlock Holmes has agreed to a reconiassance mission for his brother Mycroft, who needs someone to assess the potential threat posed by the rise of the Fascists in Italy. Too many right wing politicians in England think that a strong man like Mussolini is what's needed to keep the masses under control --- and not just in Italy. 

Russell hunts for evidence of Vivian’s presence among the expatriate community drinking and carousing on the Lido, where she insinuates herself into the fast company of Elsa Maxwell. Meanwhile, Holmes gains entry into the household of the American composer Cole Porter and his wife Linda. The Porters drop millions of lira into the local economy, but their guest lists are more exclusive, focusing on people of power and influence, including the Venetian Fascists.

One of the reasons this series is so much more satisfying than other Holmes pastiches is not just Russell’s character but the way that she has absorbed Holmes’ methods and applies them with the different sensibilities of both her generation and gender in a new century.

There are two serious themes lurking beneath the mysteries here. One is the rise of fascism in 1920s Europe and how easily the fascists took control of Italy. Any similarities between that situation and xenophobic regimes today are likely intentional.

Likewise the mystery that takes Russell to Venice in the first place. Her friend’s aunt was committed to Bedlam, the psychiatric asylum in London, for years. She stayed on there voluntarily when she could have left.  Now she has disappeared. Russell realizes the real mystery is why she was committed in the first place.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.






 

Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay

Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay - 655 pages

Thomas  is a map-obsessed schizophrenic. He tries not to leave his bedroom but  with a computer program called Whirl360.com, he travels the world while never stepping out the door.......  until he sees something in a street view of downtown New York City.....someone being murdered.

Thomas's brother, Ray, takes care of him, cooking for him, dealing with the outside world on his behalf.  . When Thomas tells Ray what he has seen, Ray humors him with a half-hearted investigation. But Ray soon realizes he and his brother have stumbled onto a deadly conspiracy.

I read this knowing others had found it more exciting than I did.  I believe many paragraphs could have been skipped in this book.  But it is an interesting story.