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Cat Morley has known suffering. A maid in service, she has fought for women's rights as a suffragette, eventually serving time for her crimes. Now recovering from a terrible illness and finally freed, she has been hired on at the vicarage in Cold Ash...more
Cat Morley has known suffering. A maid in service, she has fought for women's rights as a suffragette, eventually serving time for her crimes. Now recovering from a terrible illness and finally freed, she has been hired on at the vicarage in Cold Ash Holt. Albert Canning, the man of the house and the village vicar, has a peculiar interest and is dead set on discovering elementals. His wife, Hester, does her best to support her husband but finds that her marriage is lacking. When Albert believes he's finally seen the spirits he seeks, he sends word to a theosopher in the area. Robin Durrant not only believes Albert, but is determined to bring proof of these fairies to the outside world, at any cost. Soon, the Canning home is in turmoil and Cat is in trouble once again.
One hundred years later, Leah Hickson receives a call from her ex. He's been working with the War Graves Commission in Belgium. A recently uncovered body bears evidence that may be enough to recover an identity. That's where Leah comes in. Two letters from the early twentieth century written by a Hester Canning from Cold Ash Holt are enough of a starting point for Leah, but will she be able to discover the identity of the unnamed soldier? And what crime does Hester refer to in one of her letters?
Webb divides her story into two parts, alternating chapters between the events of 1911 and Leah's investigation in 2011. Leah is a fabulous character -- someone fascinated by the past and in a position to be able to research and discover hidden history. The mystery at Cold Ash Holt itself is intriguing and Leah's efforts to unravel them are great momentum for the story.
The 1911 portion of the tale is equally absorbing. Cat is feisty and holds onto a lot of anger thanks to the unfairness of class rules. This time was tumultuous indeed and Hester plays an almost perfect opposite to Cat, determined to do her part by being a loving and supportive wife. While their overall ideas of how things should be done clash, they do have more sympathy for one another than they're ready to show.
This is my first read by Katherine Webb, but definitely not my last.(less)
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It's no secret that Sara Gallagher is adopted. She's always been curious about where she comes from, but in planning her upcoming wedding the question has been weighing on her. What if there's some sort of medical concern that could affect her or her...more
It's no secret that Sara Gallagher is adopted. She's always been curious about where she comes from, but in planning her upcoming wedding the question has been weighing on her. What if there's some sort of medical concern that could affect her or her children? Wouldn't it be better to know? A bit of searching reveals the identity of Sara's birth mother but her response to Sara's attempted contact is upsetting to say the least. What's more, Sara is sure that the woman has lied to her about her father. She decides to go one step further and hires a PI to find out more. What's discovered is more shocking than she ever expected: Sara is the daughter of the notorious Campsite Killer. Her birth mother was the one and only survivor. Somehow, the press gets wind of the story and soon a man identifying himself as her father begins to contact Sara, catapulting her and her family into turmoil and almost certain danger.
Chevy Stevens literally burst onto the thriller scene with her intense debut, STILL MISSING. NEVER KNOWING is no less intense or shocking than its predecessor. Stevens again delves into the psychological aspects of the affects of crime on her lead character. This time around, rather than being a victim, Sara must question everything she knows and finds herself examining every aspect of her own life and behavior in search of connections or similarities that might be ascribed to her terrible origins.
Each chapter begins as a session with Sara's therapist. Sara narrates the events as if she is recalling them to a second party, which makes for an interesting framework to the story.
NEVER KNOWING is a quick read that I was tempted to finish all in one go -- and nearly did. The pacing begs for it!(less)
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Who is your favorite Greek goddess? Sponsored By:Underworld
she
voted for
Persephone
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Naomi Feinstein is a precocious child. Gifted with a photographic memory and a natural curiosity, she vows early on that she will attend Wellesley College and become a cardiac surgeon, a goal she sets her heart on after her father suffers a near-fata...more
Naomi Feinstein is a precocious child. Gifted with a photographic memory and a natural curiosity, she vows early on that she will attend Wellesley College and become a cardiac surgeon, a goal she sets her heart on after her father suffers a near-fatal heart attack. Naomi is going to save people. But over the course of the years, she must confront the possibility that she may not be able to save those most important to her.
Naomi is greatly affected by those around her. Her father and his hopes and dreams for her, her mother and her frequent bouts of depression, her friends, Teddy and Jun. In fact, each and every person in Naomi's life offers up something that becomes part of her "uncommon education."
Of course Naomi's particular education is not uncommon at all. We are all shaped by our individual experiences. All of Naomi's experiences become part of her growth, changing her in ways that she could never have expected or predicted when she initially set her sights on Wellesley and a career in cardiac surgery.
As a narrator, I found Naomi extremely appealing. She's bright, interesting, and charming. I will admit that I generally prefer more conflict to liven up a coming of age story, but I wouldn't change a thing about An Uncommon Education. Percer's character-driven debut was a wonderful change of pace for my reading week.(less)
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Anyone familiar with Othello will know Iago as the antagonist. He devises a plan of revenge after being slighted by Othello, his general and friend. In the end Othello's wife, Desdemona, is dead at Othello's hand. Iago's wife, Emilia, is dead at Iago...more
Anyone familiar with Othello will know Iago as the antagonist. He devises a plan of revenge after being slighted by Othello, his general and friend. In the end Othello's wife, Desdemona, is dead at Othello's hand. Iago's wife, Emilia, is dead at Iago's hand. Iago murders his childhood friend, Roderigo, and Othello commits suicide. But what led up to the event? What in Iago's past has made him the man who causes all of this grief? That is the Iago Galland presents in her latest.
Iago pretty much goes with the flow throughout the book. He wants to be in the Navy, his father sends him to artillery school instead. After rising to the top and making a name for himself, Iago's father then uses him to gain support by sending him to join the Army. Not Iago's plan, but he again goes along with his father's wishes and again rises to the top earning an ensign rank early on. At one point Iago tells his wife Emilia that his own merit will get him ahead. And he is wrong. When the lieutenant position opens up, everyone -- including Iago -- believes that Iago is the logical choice. Instead, Cassio is elevated in rank and Iago remains ensign. And this is Iago's breaking point.
Galland's Iago is manipulative and conniving. He's clever but he's also prone to childish jealousy and his own imagination gets him into trouble -- you know the saying about assuming? Iago does a lot of assuming. I'd say that his plan for revenge against Othello is not completely undeserved. Othello is his friend and relies so heavily on Iago's council that when the general passes him up for promotion without any explanation, Iago's anger seems somewhat justified. His plan gets a little out of control and then a lot out of control before the end of the story.
I, Iago is a fun read. You don't have to be a Shakespearean scholar to enjoy it -- in fact, you don't have to have any prior knowledge of Othello at all. I, Iago is a complete tale all on its very own.(less)
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When retired investigative journalist Catherine Winslow stumbles upon a body near her quiet Cloudland home, she is shaken to her core. The peace of her existence is shattered as she becomes involved in the investigation -- one that points to a killer...more
When retired investigative journalist Catherine Winslow stumbles upon a body near her quiet Cloudland home, she is shaken to her core. The peace of her existence is shattered as she becomes involved in the investigation -- one that points to a killer who may be coming for her next.
Unfortunately I can't say that I enjoyed CLOUDLAND. The main character was only passably interesting and the plot was more than a little convoluted. Overall there was nothing terribly enthralling about the mystery or the characters.(less)
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When Andrew and his son, Webb, end up on the same plane as Daisy and her daughter, Coco, their international vacation plans get turned upside down and inside out. Andrew slips Daisy a note, hoping she'll be charmed and contact him upon her return. In...more
When Andrew and his son, Webb, end up on the same plane as Daisy and her daughter, Coco, their international vacation plans get turned upside down and inside out. Andrew slips Daisy a note, hoping she'll be charmed and contact him upon her return. Instead, Daisy misinterprets Andrew's intentions and is royally peeved. Meanwhile, Webb and Coco mistakenly swap bags at baggage claim and end up striking up an email conversation in an attempt to get their respective possessions back. Nothing goes as planned as the families are thrown together in this light and fluffy vacation tale.
Webb and Coco are much more interesting characters than either of their parents and I strongly believe the story would have worked better as YA. IN THE BAG was certainly a cute read, but not a very memorable one.(less)
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