Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

This is a book that I was looking forward to for quite some time. I was really interested in the family dynamics in this summary, especially since I am the oldest sister and my younger sister and I are in constant completion with each other.

I thought this one would yield interesting family relationships and dynamics as well as present a fascinating mystery with lots of things to question and debate.

Plus this author has written a number of books, most of which are women fiction or romance, sprinkled with a few mysteries. This one sounded like it was going to be a little darker and more complex than her usual books. I have never read anything by this author before, but I was eager to discover her style and writing. Continue reading “Review: A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards” →

Book Challenges, Book Critic, Book Review, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

As a little girl, I was obsessed with Grace Kelly. I was fascinated by her love story and in the end, her tragic death, and longed for the day that I too could become a real American princess.

But as I got older I moved on from princess dreams to horses and didn’t look back. That is until the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markel. It was another famous American, marrying royalty and becoming a princess that reignited my interest in Grace Kelly.

When I saw that this book was coming out, I squealed in excitement. Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have written some of my favorite novels both independently and together. They make a fabulous team and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this latest collaboration and see how they incorporated Grace Kelly into this story. Continue reading “Review: Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Death in a Desert Land (Agatha Christie #3) by Andrew Wilson

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Death in a Desert Land (Agatha Christie #3) by Andrew Wilson

I would venture to say that most people have heard of the great mystery writer Agatha Christie. She’s written so many classic mysteries and I would be hard pressed to meet someone who hasn’t heard of at least one of her books in one way or another.

Because she is so recognizable and such a classic mystery writer, I was thrilled to see that someone had turned her into her own fictional sleuth. My first thought when I saw that someone had done this, was that it sounded hokey. Agatha Christie is such an icon and to mess with that and turn her into a fictionalized detective sounded trite…..but at the same time, I was also here for it.

Especially when I read the description. It sounded like Agatha Christie was going to be kind of a female Indiana Jones—at least in this book—who solves crime. And to be honest, I didn’t care how hokey this book could potentially be, I just knew that I needed to read it! Continue reading “Review: Death in a Desert Land (Agatha Christie #3) by Andrew Wilson” →

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Interview: ACROSS THE RIVER by Richard Snodgrass

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Interview: ACROSS THE RIVER by Richard Snodgrass

Civil War buffs, this is a novel you might want to put on your radar!

In the summer of 1863, Judson Walker, a captain of Morgan’s Raiders, and Jonathan Reid, a young engineer, come to Furnass to appropriate two of Colin Lyles’ steam-powered road engines. The purpose is to outfit the engines with iron plate and the newly developed Gatlin Guns, and, with Morgan, deliver the war engines to General Lee’s army in Central Pennsylvania. Amid Walker’s growing involvement with Lyle’s wife Libby, deserting soldiers, and Reid’s own agenda, Walker learns Morgan isn’t coming. The novel reaches its climax with Lyle trying to sabotage the war engines. Walker must decide between Libby and duty toward his men, the war and individual human values.

The Books of Furnass tell the story of a fictitious mill town, ten miles from Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania. At the heart of the series is the Furnass Towers Trilogy, about the efforts of men and women to maintain their lives, and the life of the town, in the face of the mill closings. In addition to contemporary life, the series chronicles the town when it was just an outpost after the French and Indian War…the town as it grew around an iron furnace in the wilderness…as it became an industrial center from the time of the American Civil War to the Vietnam War. And the series tells the story of the Lyle family, who were involved with the town from its founding to its struggles to survive after the mills went away (summary from Goodreads) 

Author Interview

Continue reading “Interview: ACROSS THE RIVER by Richard Snodgrass” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Murder in the City of Liberty (Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery #2) by Rachel McMillan

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Murder in the City of Liberty (Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery #2) by Rachel McMillan

When this book popped up for review, I was thrilled! I haven’t read the first book in the series, but it has been on my radar. Then this one came up and I was eager to dive in.

I am absolutely in love with the cover and can’t get enough of the colors and the gorgeous art deco details in the background. I felt like the cover absolutely captures the time period and would make readers excited to pick this one up……I know I was excited!

With this being the second book, I was hopeful that I hadn’t missed too much of the character back stories and that I wouldn’t be too lost. I also liked that it was set in Boston and not the typical New York or London settings that are so popular in many historical mysteries. Continue reading “Review: Murder in the City of Liberty (Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery #2) by Rachel McMillan” →