Masterful vintage storytelling
590111
I remember reading all of Margery Allingham's books quite a few years ago.  Recently, I obtained a Kindle copy of her book Black Plumes and my interest was newly aroused.  In both Black Plumes and The Crime at Black Dudley, I was in great admiration of Allingham's writing ability.  Her very apt characterizations and vivid descriptions are just admirably crafted.  The basic scheme of Black Dudley has been frequently described on these pages so I will not repeat that here.  I think Black Dudley, in addition to being a quintessential classic British mystery, is an uncommonly good psychological thriller.  Margery Allingham certain knows how to create an atmosphere as well as how to relate a cracking good story.  I found this book thoroughly entertaining..  My thanks to Net Galley via Amazon Kindle for making this fine book available for me to read.
1107108
I was enchanted with this book from the earliest scenes: the beautiful, old mansion dreams of its finer days with warm bread baking in the kitchen and girls telling secrets upstairs. Who hasn't seen a former great house, now in disrepair, and wondered what fabulous tales its walls hold? The author keeps the mansion as the focus as the incredible story unfolds, both in 1955 and 2015, with secrets enough to satisfy the most curious treasure hunter. In this case the treasure hunters are a diverse set of people: a granddaughter missing her deceased grandmother, a daughter questioning her aloof, recently deceased, father, and a sister wondering about siblings related by blood or marriage. This is a wonderful book: lyrical, timeless and compelling. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
654686
Girl with a Past has it all.  There is authenticity in her portrait of San Francisco and the lives of the wealthy - as well as her evocation of Berkley in the sixties.  The heroine keeps plowing fearlessly into the past -  unlocking family and police secrets.  Lots of surprises and imaginative storytelling.
3150275
Ever since I visited President Garfield's house in Mentor Ohio, I have been engrossed in reading stories about the post-Civil War period and the Gilded Age. The Devil in the White City is one of the best-written and most engagingly told of all these stories. It tells the tale of the World's Fair of 1893--and of a monster that lurked in shadows shadows of the magnificent White City.

This story, like that of the Gilded Age itself, is one of both vitality and of human deprivation. Figures like Burnham loom larger than life even as those like "H.H. Holmes" bespeak the evil in humanity's heart. Erik Larson weaves these two stories into a masterful tapestry that captivates the reader from start to finish.

As much a cultural history of Chicago in the later half of the 19th Century as it is a tale of the fair and the building of the White City, this story has broad appeal. Those with little or no knowledge of the era will be just as charmed as they are educated by this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I give The Devil in the White City my full recommendation.
3688499
About three chapters into this book, I knew I was in for a treat. Morton has written a sprawling, meticulously plotted novel that spans decades, interweaves stories and is filled with good old-fashioned storytelling. It felt delicious to read ... kind of like slipping into a hot bath and settling in for a long soak. (Perhaps that is why it took me an unprecedented 10 days to read!)

The story--which alternates between three different time periods--deals with the issues of identity and family ties. The main story concerns a 4-year-old girl who is found alone on a dock in Australia--seemingly alone in the world after arriving on a ship from England. Adopted by the harbormaster after no one claims her, the girl grows up unaware of her origins, until her adoptive father reveals it to her after his wife's death. Shocked and unbalanced by this news, the girl pursues the mystery of her identity and biological family--using only the meager clues left to her. Upon her death, the mystery is taken up by her granddaughter, who has a tragic story of her own. Shifting between the present day, the mid-1970s and the early 1900s, The Forgotten Garden unfolds slowly and carefully--with Morton interweaving each story line seamlessly.

I have to say that I admire Morton's skills in crafting this story. She does a brilliant job of mixing Eliza's, Nell's and Cassandra's stories in a way that felt fluid and natural. We'd learn something in one time period and then go back and get the details in the next chapter. I really enjoyed this way of telling the story. It felt like historical fiction mixed with contemporary fiction mixed with literary fiction. The mystery at the heart of the book was also satisfying ... I thought I'd figured everything out only to have Morton toss me a curve ball. I love when that happens!

The other aspect I enjoyed was how the Eliza Makepeace character is a writer of fairy tales, and we get to read these stories at different points throughout the book. I loved how the fairy tales shed light on the events of the story ... without that always being immediate obvious to the reader. The only thing that could have improved the story even more is if they had included the illustrations that were created for the fairy tale book! (I suppose that is asking a little too much though.)

I totally get why people gush over Kate Morton. If this is the kind of books she writes, then sign me up for more! This was a very satisfying read, and I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys good old-fashioned storytelling that is crafted with care by the author. So, Morton fans, which one should I try next?
332724
The stories and plays in this collection are engaging and thought-provoking. The subjects range from the isolation faced by the daughter of a murderer, to a young girls miraculous healing through a fervent belief in fairies, to problems faced by the American parents of an adopted Chinese daughter. Some are set in the early 1900s, some in the 1960s, and some in current times. Stories set in the past have the taste of authenticity and immediacy. At times the author indulges a penchant for reversals and plot twists. All of the tales in this collection are engrossing, with a good feel for voice, setting, and character.
1039190
This is a hauntingly beautiful tale, masterfully narrated.

When James Joyce invites us to this intimate gathering (based on visits to his aunts in his childhood), he also lets us into his heart. And Dubliner Tadhg Hynes enlivens each character with tenderness and wit.

In fact, the story hardly seems narrated at all. It's as if an old friend is confiding a treasured memory in Joyce's own cadences. Each character is illuminated. Every droll comment shines. Most important, the warmth of the reading awakens profound empathy and a sense of wonder.

Just listen to the sample of the narration, available on Audible.com.  Or listen to Hynes' delightful narration of Episode 12 of Ulysses on YouTube -

I believe that you, too, will feel the magic!
1115971
When I was a child, I loved reading about different legends and lore.  This book brought back those years to me, spun a contemporary take on them and gave me comfort in the creepiness of the story.  Comfort of the known and comfort with the fact that this author didn't just tell me about the legends but treated them with honor and respect.

The author breathed a new life into the legendary characters and stories.  She provided a means to bring them all together while creating a story of her own.  She is spot on with the mannerisms of the era's and you can feel the historical attributes as if you were right there at that time and place.  The story flowed so well and the interactions of all the characters felt like the author fine tuned each and every one of them before she even wrote it, giving each their own persona and sculpting it to perfection which meshed all the different layers together in a way that not many storytellers can.

The story itself is dark but mixed with character cockiness, stubbornness, sarcasm and humor.  I found myself laughing out loud, wanting to hide in terror, ready to punch a little punk who was claimed by "The La Brea Tar Pits of .......," call the white coats, silently creep on the neighbor because he's like everywhere, and more.  Any story that can take you through all these emotions and not lose you as a reader plus take it back and forth from past to present seamlessly is a keeper and one to shot praises of it from the rooftops.

This book is not for younger children, but I can see teens through adults glued to the pages.  I can see this book being shared from one booklover to another to another and so on.  I look forward to further legends books by Ms. Rourke and I think I'm going to do some catching up on those that I loved as a child.
4937869
With echoes of Jack Finney's Time and Again, a dash of Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale and a bit of Borges, this magical tale is riveting from page 1 right until the final pages. What a brilliant display of NYC turn of the century portraiture mixed with Kabbalistic lore and Middle Eastern mysticism with vivid characters that draw you right into the story. One of my favorite reads of the year so far and kudos to Ms. Wecker for her meticulous research and imagination on what a "modern" golem might look like running around the streets of NY at the turn of the century. A fantastic read.
3414386
The expansive storytelling and scope of "Killing Time," by the hugely talented writer, Roberta Parry, is on par with the greats. The author masterfully crafts a tale about a privileged thirty-something married woman, whose life starts to unravel because of her ever increasing yearning to revisit her past. She bravely embarks on an emotional and spiritual journey of enlightenment. The book will tug at your heartstrings with its crystal clear window into relationships and first time true love. Killing Time spans several decades, going back and forth to the protagonist's teen years and present day with seamless perfection. The author juggles various subplots with ease. Parry's creative prowess comes through with colorful teenage characters who capture the painful pangs of adolescence perfectly. Added bonuses are the rich visual descriptions of Northern Arizona that match the authors lush cover painting and an introduction to the Hopi Indian culture. This book is a classic story about lost youth, first love, friendships, healing, and family, that will resonate with the reader for years to come.
488714
From Father Foley's epic smackdown of the tartuffian curate Father Coy to the poignant narrative of Lenny Quin's tragic past; from the nostalgic portrait of the Irish countryside and its comforting people to the dangerous characters in Tony's American nightmare life, the author has brilliantly interwoven contemporary realism with classic romanticism.  The rich blend of characters, the mystery surrounding Lenny's personal torment, Tony's obsession with her, and the dangers, unseen, but sensed, kept me turning pages for hours.  This novel may be one of the most satisfying reads of the year.
4299880
Lynne Gentry is a masterful wordsmiths. She has a way of writing that immerses the reader into the story world, and her characters are intense on many levels. Her forte is her voice. In both the setting and peopling of her story, she has a way of imparting information without dealing out a dump of it. Ancient Carthage came alive. The sights, smells, and sounds of the marketplace peopled with unfortunate captives at the slave blocks and the cream of society.

The unique element of the story is its genre  actually that should be plural. What begins with the feel of a Contemporary Womens fiction plunges into a Speculative time travel story, then finds a perch firmly in the past (215AD) like a Historical with intense Romance. But even though The Healer of Carthage doesnt fit into a genre box, the story is exceptionally written.
Its an Epic of the same caliber of movies like The Robe, Ben Hur, and The Ten Commandments.

And though the story is indeed a Christian Fiction, nothing of the filthy, pagan city of Carthage is withheld. Not the cruelty of the arena, the squalor and poverty of the working class, or the preoccupation with sex and physical beauty.
3333654
Astor Place Vintage weaves an intriguing and entertaining tale of historical fiction.  Sharing with us the lives of two women separated by a century in time, but tethered together by a mutual love of all thats New York, it is almost impossible to put down.

In this richly told novel, Stephanie Lehmann bravely yet gently touches on a few timeless themes regarding feminist topics and extra-marital affairs.  Her research and sensory details of turn-of-the-century New York immerse you fully in the experience.  The characters, especially Olive and Angelina, were so well drawn you could imagine meeting them for lunch and having a great time.

The ending comes up on you unexpectedly, and bit too quickly.  I liked the wrapping up of the story: both believable and satisfying on multiple levels, yet it left me wanting more.  I guess that's what she wanted.  Nevermind!
1241658
This is a great old fashioned piece of literature showing that a book that is very dark and serious in its essence can still be a page turner. You could say that at 775 pages it's sometimes self indulgent, but then those extended sections where the narrative does not move as fast as it could only get you more deeply involved with the characters. And what unforgettable characters they are. Theo, Boris, Hobie, Pippa, Mrs Barbour are brilliantly drawn characters, old fashioned in the best possible way. These characters are people you will live with.
The book deals with loss, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (doesn't every story these day?) and nihilism, but it has room for nostalgia, comfort and love too. And art with its redeeming quality ties it all up into a fantastic package. Enjoy. It's worth every minute of your time.
2002445
The Watchmage of old New York is a gem. Well crafted, full of pyrotechnical plot elements, it is fascinating from the very beginning. Literature and media is full of tales of Victorian New York City. Mr. Sanders merges the magic of old New York with actual magic. The watchmage is  a guardian of dwellers, paranormal creatures from other planes of existence that cross a barrier that is called The Veil. He watches over them, helping them find decent lives on the earthly plane. His ammunition in this pursuit is an impressive array of magic that he uses to subdue evil humans and dwellers alike.

Those of us who know New York City can delight in the obviously meticulous research that Mr. Sanders has undertaken to resurrect Victorian New York in incredible detail. The slang, the old neighborhoods, like Five Points, now lost to history, all of these will entertain even those readers who know little about New York City. But more than that, The Watchmage of Old New York is a taught, intelligent tale of magic, tough cops, and an immense variety of add creatures from different planes of existence. The most impressive aspect of the story is how the author overlays a fully formed world of paranormal creatures and phenomena over a very definite and  gritty Victorian New York without it being the least bit awkward. The reader accepts a mage, magelings and assorted other dwellers as if they belonged walking with the Irish, paperboys and the Pug Uglies.

This is a book not to be missed.
2317109
The book has a rare, marvellous, even poetic style. It is extremely well crafted and constructed literature, and I can't wait for her next book.
The author masterfully re-creates England of the early last  century, from the extreme poverty to the classist attitudes of the  poor--something most period-pieces forget--as well as the rich. We are  caught in a world of whores, disease, grave-robbers, and ladies. The author  does not judge or euphemize: she simply re-creates and recounts. As a  result, every detail of the book takes on a glowing vividness.
By far,  the best aspect of the book is its narrative. One aspect that pleased me  was the author's way of bringing us close to the characters and events and  then distancing us at crucial moments, making the events seem hauntingly  real. As such, the book has a sort of tension and a feeling of uneasiness  that keept me reading anxiously, even in the happiest moments. It is in the  book's masterful control of the plot, characters, and even of the  reader--particularly in the second-to-last chapter--that you know that you  are in the presence of someone who will become a great writer.
The Lodger  is divided into two halves. In the first, we learn essentially not to judge  a book by its cover; in the second, we learn that you cannot change what  you are. These themes exist programmatically as well - in the first, the  plot lures you into false conceptions about itself and in the second, the  plot plays with the idea of a "historical novel" by leading you  into several possible outcomes. Thankfully, though the author is aware of  narratological and generic aspects, she does not use them as cheap gimmics,  nor does she give them full keel. The author seems to know as much about  controlling the author as about controlling the plot.
The one unpleasant  aspect of the book is/are the narrators. Most of the work is written in a  simple, third-person narrative, but there are occasional intrusions by  first-person-plural narrators. These latter narrators exist in the past as  well as in the present and detract from the period-authenticity of the  book. These narrators feel free to mix contemporary and modern slang and  use British together with American orthography (+neighbour+ and +jail+,  respectively). Even when I understood their narratological function, I  found they jerked me around too much. Then again, I am an editor and tend  to be somewhat anal. There are also a few small things that were left  unanswered, for example, did Dr. Clanny recognise Gustine as the body  snatcher?
On the whole, the book is excellent.
3734243
Cynthia Shearer does a masterful job of weaving together the stories and perceptions of three generations of the Durrance family, friends and relatives. The narrative voice switches from chapter to chapter, but each  voice is so distinct and so well-drawn, that the reader will have no  difficulty with the changing voices.
This is an outstanding book, one I  have read twice and look forward to reading again.