Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Murder on Oak Street by I.M. Foster

 

Today I'm participating in the Murder on Oak Street Blog Tour. In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review. Be sure to enter the giveaway contest below.

 

About the book . . . 

Murder on Oak Street (A South Shore Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inez M. Foster (November 12, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 503 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 173333758X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1733337588
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 503 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1733337571
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1733337571
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BFMT4WL2

 

Synopsis . . . New York, 1904. 

After two years as a coroner’s physician for the City of New York, Daniel O’Halleran is more frustrated than ever. What’s the point when the authorities consistently brush aside his findings for the sake of expediency? So when his fiancée leaves him standing at the altar on their wedding day, he takes it as a sign that it’s time to move on and eagerly accepts an offer to assist the local coroner in the small Long Island village of Patchogue.

Though the coroner advises him that life on Long Island is far more subdued than that of the city, Daniel hasn’t been there a month when the pretty librarian, Kathleen Brissedon, asks him to look into a two-year-old murder case that took place in the city. Oddly enough, the case she’s referring to was the first one he ever worked on, and the verdict never sat right with him.

Eager for the chance to investigate it anew, Daniel agrees to look into it in his spare time, but when a fresh murder occurs in his own backyard, he can’t shake his gut feeling that the two cases are connected. Can he discover the link before another life is taken, or will murder shake the peaceful South Shore village once again?
 
My review . . . Doctor and coroner Daniel O'Halleran remains haunted by his very first death case two years earlier. He can't shake the feeling that his conclusions were ignored and justice wasn't served. Daniel finds himself adrift after this experience, coupled with the unexpected break up of his betrothal which shook his self-esteem to the core. The young doctor hopes that moving from New York City to Long Island for a similar position will offer him a fresh start.

As circumstances would have it, Daniel is given another chance to revisit the old case when Kathleen Brissedon, the local young librarian, asks him to take a closer look. She hopes that reexamining the case will clear the victim's name and bring a sense of closure for her stepbrother Patrick, the victim's son. Things take an interesting turn when a murder occurs in the town. Daniel's innate investigative abilities turn up clues in the new case that seem eerily connected to the prior one. Can he piece together enough proof to solve both cases and bring the guilty to justice? 

This historical mystery, set in New York's Gilded Age, brings to vivid life the ruthlessness of a group of self-made men and their associates, some of whom will stop at nothing--including murder--to obtain wealth and status. It's a showdown between scoundrels and society's better angels who seek justice and accountability in the face of dastardly deeds. 

The story's many plausible suspects, motives, and red herrings move the plot along, held my attention, and kept me guessing until the last few pages. The author has created a multi-layered cast of characters and a budding attraction between the doctor and the librarian, who seem romantically and professionally well-suited. The series is off to a good start with great potential for future storylines and books 2 and 3 already in the works.

About the author . . .  I. M. Foster is the pen name author Inez Foster uses to write her South Shore Mystery series, set on Edwardian Long Island. Inez also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Andrea Matthews, and has so far published two series in that genre: the Thunder on the Moor series, a time-travel romance set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Borders, and the Cross of Ciaran series, which follows the adventures of a fifth century Celt who finds himself in love with a twentieth-century archaeologist.

Inez is an historian and librarian, who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogically speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. Inez is a member of the Long Island Romance Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime.

 

 

Giveaway . . . Click here for a chance to win books 2 and 3 (choice of print or eBook) in the South Shore Mystery Series.

 

 

Purchase link . . . Amazon 

Author links . . . 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMFosterMysteries

X: https://www.x.com/IMFosterMystery

Threads: https://www.threads.net/imfosterauthor

 

 

Tour participants . . . 

April 14 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT  

April 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

April 16 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 17 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 18 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

April 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

April 21 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 22 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

April 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

April 24 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

April 25 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

April 26 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

April 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

April 27 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Murder on Oak Street in exchange for an honest review.

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

 

Friday Focus: Bookish Memes to Start the Weekend

 

 It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 which was hosted for many years by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them. Since Freda's blog is currently on hiatus, the meme is being maintained by Anne at My Head is Full of Books. Visit Anne's blog to post and read the weekly entries. 

Today I'm featuring A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales. The excerpts shared are from an eBook borrowed from the library.

 

Book Beginning/First Line:  Chapter 1 -- Introductions

In the English countryside there was a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp.

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56% of eBook:  "There is one thing which might be of interest," Miss Bolton said in a soft voice. Drake stopped pacing and waited for her to continue.

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My thoughts:  Protagonist Beatrice Steele is the most unconventional of young women for her time. She flouts the rules of etiquette and acceptable female behavior to pursue her interest in crime solving. When a murder lands on her figurative doorstep, Beatrice demonstrates her talent for finding clues and drawing sound conclusions based on the evidence she observes.

A Most Agreeable Murder is a most enjoyable read. Its balance of quirky characters, mysterious goings on, humor, and plot twists are first-rate. I hope the author plans a return to this setting and time period for further exploits with the spirited Beatrice.

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From GoodReads: When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.

Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township--she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters-- beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she'd be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.

For her family's sake, she's vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior, which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire's infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires--before anyone else is murdered.

 

 

 

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This Friday Focus: Bookish Memes to Start the Weekend post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com. It cannot be republished without attribution.

Great Escapes Blog Tour, Book Review, and Giveaway: The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating by S.K. Golden

Today I'm participating in the The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating Blog Tour. In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review. And be sure to enter the giveaway below.

About the book . . .

The Socialite's Guide to Death & Dating (A Pinnacle Hotel Mystery)

 Historical Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – 1958 New York City
Crooked Lane Books (October 10, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639104852
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639104857
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BS2SG88V

 

Synopsis . . . Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver, the second Pinnacle Hotel mystery finds another murder that strikes too close to home, and hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy knows she’s the only one who can save the hotel before it’s lights out.

New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father’s hotel. With Malcolm (Mac) Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it’s throwing a big fundraiser with the who’s who of New York City.

The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm’s offer to visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn’s car. But Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car—with a needle in his arm.

Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there’s a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn’s face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn’s got another problem, too—her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.

With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she’s checked out of the hotel—this time, for good. 

 

My review . . . Evelyn Murphy, amateur detective and heiress to the Pinnacle Hotel, is back for more sleuthing in The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating, the second book in author S.K. Golden's historical cozy mystery series. Evelyn has a new beau, Malcolm (Mac) Cooper, and with the help of a therapist, has made strides in dealing with her agoraphobia and anxiety, allowing her to travel farther afield from the Pinnacle.

Evelyn has channeled her talent for event planning into organizing a posh political fundraiser at the hotel for New York City's prominent leaders and their supporters. At the end of the wildly successful party, however, Evelyn finds one of the attendees--a judge--slumped behind the steering wheel of his car, the victim of an apparent drug overdose. When a woman who was in the car with the judge also dies under mysterious circumstances, the police investigation intensifies.

To make matters worse, Evelyn's father detests her new beau, Mac and is threatening to cut off her inheritance if she doesn't immediately end the relationship. Soon after Mr. Murphy issues his ultimatum, he is found in his hotel suite barely conscious--the victim of an attack--along with a maid who has been strangled. When Mac becomes the prime suspect and is arrested, Evelyn undertakes her own investigation to clear her lover's name.

Are all these crimes at the hotel related? Evelyn is convinced that they are and won't rest until she determines whether there is a connection between the victims. And when she puts a dangerous plan in motion to catch the killer, Evelyn risks becoming the next victim.

The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating is a delightful return to the elegant Pinnacle Hotel, with its cast of colorful staff and guests. This second installment has the components that keep readers engaged--an endearing protagonist; balanced amounts of romance and drama; strong character development; a well-constructed plot; an unexpected motive; and hints of what future books in the series may bring. For all of these reasons, I eagerly anticipate the continuation of this series.

For my review of the first book in the series, click this link: The Socialite's Guide to Murder.

Giveaway . . . Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon eGift Card by clicking on this link.

 

About the author . . . S. K. Golden is the author of the Pinnacle Hotel cozy mystery series. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she married a commercial fisherman. The two of them still live on the islands with their five kids (one boy, four girls — including identical twins!), two cats, and a corgi named Goku. 

 

She graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Administration and has put it to good use approximately zero times. Sarah worked as a bank teller, a pharmacy technician, and an executive assistant at her father’s church. She is delighted to be doing none of those things now.

Author links . . .

Website: https://www.skgoldenwrites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SKGoldenWrites/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/skgoldenwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skgoldenwrites/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22010011.S_K_Golden

 

Purchase links . . . Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org 

 

  

 

Tour participants . . .

October 5 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 7 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

October 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

October 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Lady Hawkeye – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 10 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW

October 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 10 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

 Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

This Blog Tour, Book Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

 

 

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a recent read, The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover edition borrowed from the library.

 

 

 

 

Beginning:  Kilcolgan House stands at the end of the long drive, caught by a moment of moonlight. Its granite walls, slick with the earlier rain, shine silver; its roof glows; its many large windows are like mirrors to the sky.

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Page 56:  In his absence, it seems to Harkin that the shadows in the room grow closer.

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My thoughts:  The Winter Guest is an atmospheric murder mystery set in Ireland during the country's civil war. When Maud Prendeville, rebel and IRA hero of the 1916 Easter Rising against British forces, is murdered in an IRA ambush on the grounds of her family's home, Tom Harkin, undercover IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent from Dublin to investigate.

Who killed Maud? The IRA claim she survived the ambush and wasn't their target. Is the murderer a member of the British army, or was a friend, neighbor, relative, or spurned lover responsible? Can Tom extract justice for Maud despite being haunted by his memories of her and being impaired by flashbacks from his time in the trenches during World War I?

Kilcolgan House, the once-opulent manor where much of the story takes place, is a prominent presence, with ghosts and shadows lurking around every corner. Behind the scenes machinations and the revelation of well-kept secrets move the plot along at a good pace, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

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From GoodReads:  January 1921. Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts, both real and imagined, while it shelters the surviving members of the Prendeville family. Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, Lord Kilcolgan’s eldest daughter, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column behind the attack insists they left her alive, that someone else must be responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate. He becomes an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.

Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets—and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find the truth about Maud's death before the past—and his strange, unnerving surroundings—overwhelm him?

The Winter Guest is a gripping and immersive read for fans of classic mysteries by the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers along with Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge series, Ann Cleeves, and Jacqueline Winspear.

 

Friday Focus: Book Beginnings and The Friday 56

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring my current read, Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback edition borrowed from a friend.

 

Beginning:  Crouch End, London

A bottle of wine. A family-sized packet of Nacho Cheese Flavoured Tortilla Chips and a jar of hot salsa dip. A packet of cigarettes on the side (I know, I know). The rain hammering against the windows. And a book.

What could have been lovelier?

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Page 56:  "Afraid he'll come after you with a horsewhip? I wouldn't put it past him. But no, Jack. I didn't tell him about you."

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My thoughts:  We all have our favorite food and beverages to indulge in while we read. My favorite beverages are wine and tea, depending on my mood and time of day. For snacks, I choose from a wide array of tasty morsels that complement my beverage of choice. 

I watched and enjoyed the recent PBS adaptation of this book, which aroused my curiosity about the written version. To my delight, so far I'm finding that the media adaptation is close to the book. It's a pleasure to get lost in a well-plotted mystery with an eclectic cast of characters.

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From GoodReads: When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway's latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.

Masterful, clever, and relentlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction in which the reader becomes the detective.

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

 

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman. The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback edition borrowed from the library.

 

 

Beginning:  Staten Island bus station

December 1971

People still search the woods for the remains of lost children.

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Page 56:  A searing pain tore at the top of Sage's feet, dragging along her flesh like hot knives and slowly bringing her out of her drug-induced stupor. After several tries, she opened her heavy eyelids, looked around, and tried to understand what was happening.

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My thoughts:  The plot is quite realistic and the setting has an ominous sense of danger and mystery. Given its history, one can easily imagine sinister happenings at the former Willowbrook State School. 

Closed after an expose by reporter Geraldo Rivera, the real-life Willowbrook State School was the site of neglect and abuse on a major scale. The property is now the home of The College of Staten Island, a senior college within the City University of New York system. Several of the old buildings still remain on the campus. They are unoccupied, but there are some who believe they are haunted by the ghosts of former inhabitants.

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From GoodReads:  Fact, fiction, and urban legend blend in this haunting story about a young woman mistakenly imprisoned at Willowbrook State School, the real-life institution later shuttered for its horrendous abuses.

Sage Winters always knew her sister was a little different even though they were identical twins. They loved the same things and shared a deep understanding, but Rosemary—awake to every emotion, easily moved to joy or tears—seemed to need more protection from the world.

Six years after Rosemary’s death from pneumonia, Sage, now sixteen, still misses her deeply. Their mother perished in a car crash, and Sage’s stepfather, Alan, resents being burdened by a responsibility he never wanted. Yet despite living as near strangers in their Staten Island apartment, Sage is stunned to discover that Alan has kept a shocking secret: Rosemary didn’t die. She was committed to Willowbrook State School and has lingered there until just a few days ago, when she went missing.

Sage knows little about Willowbrook. It’s always been a place shrouded by rumor and mystery. A place local parents threaten to send misbehaving kids. With no idea what to expect, Sage secretly sets out for Willowbrook, determined to find Rosemary. What she learns, once she steps through its doors and is mistakenly believed to be her sister, will change her life in ways she never could imagined . . .

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

  It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver. It's the first book in the new Electra McDonnell series. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover edition borrowed from the library.

First Chapter:  London, August 1940

We're going to get caught.

The alarming idea buzzed around inside my head like the menacing drone of an approaching Luftwaffe bomber, even as I tried to banish it. I had never had this sensation in the middle of a job before, and it was disquieting to say the least. It was unlucky to think such things, especially at moments like these. To lose concentration was the first step in making mistakes. And we couldn't afford to make mistakes.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I'm looking forward to beginning a new series that is set in one of my favorite locations and time periods. And the opening paragraphs whet my appetite for more of the story.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring a current read, The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford.

  

Beginning:  Prologue

August 1963

He comes from the river.  Steals into my garden without warning.  I am sitting in the camellia grove above the estuary, waiting for the sunset, watching a pair of oystercatchers at the water's edge, and trying to work out who is going to murder Major Palgrave.  The lapping of the tide lulls me to sleep, so I don't see the boat heading for the mooring.

 * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 1

October 1928--London, England

Can we be haunted by those who are not yet dead?  In the weeks that followed Agatha's divorce from Archie Christie, a ghostly part of him seemed to follow her everywhere.  Sitting in an empty house, she would hear his footsteps on the stairs.  Waking in the night, she would feel the weight of his body in the bed.  Opening the wardrobe, she would breathe in the familiar scent of shaving soap and cigarettes, even though his clothes were long gone.  It was as if her senses had joined the conspiracy to push her over the edge.

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56% of eBook:  "She's got guts, hasn't she?" Nancy said.  "After what happened in Egypt, most people would have turned tail and run home."

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My thoughts:   This book was selected by one of my book clubs.  I am enjoying the story so far, particularly because the main character is Agatha Christie, who is taking a trip on the Orient Express under an assumed name.




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From Goodreads:  Hoping to make a clean break from a fractured marriage, Agatha Christie boards the Orient Express in disguise. But unlike her famous detective Hercule Poirot, she can’t neatly unravel the mysteries she encounters on this fateful journey.

Agatha isn’t the only passenger on board with secrets. Her cabinmate Katharine Keeling’s first marriage ended in tragedy, propelling her toward a second relationship mired in deceit. Nancy Nelson—newly married but carrying another man’s child—is desperate to conceal the pregnancy and teeters on the brink of utter despair. Each woman hides her past from the others, ferociously guarding her secrets. But as the train bound for the Middle East speeds down the track, the parallel courses of their lives shift to intersect—with lasting repercussions.

Filled with evocative imagery, suspense, and emotional complexity, The Woman on the Orient Express explores the bonds of sisterhood forged by shared pain and the power of secrets.

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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter with appropriate recognition is appreciated.