The Other Girl

Title: The Other Girl
Author: Erica Spindler
Genre: Mystery, Thriller/Suspense
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws.

Miranda Radar is a highly trusted and respected officer in the small town of Harmony, Louisiana, but she had to work hard to overcome her troubled past.  But when the murder of a prominent college professor comes her way, she must once again face the trials of her past, including an assault that no one believes.  Miranda must now to try solve the case of the murder all the while trying to convince everyone around her that 1) the professor was not the man everyone thought he was and 2) that she had nothing to do with the gruesome and brutal murder.  When another man from her past winds up dead with more links to her, she struggles to prove herself innocent.  Will she be able to solve the issue of why her, why now? Or will the evidence be too much to handle?

 

I seen this one at my library and decided to check it out and see what it was about.  I am glad that I did, while this was my first Erica Spindler novel, I don't think it will be the last. I enjoyed every bit of the story, even though there were some elements that are normally not my cup of tea, but Spindler presents everything in a way that it's easy to handle to hard subjects.  The novel has shorter chapters which makes it feel like it reads fast, which is a good thing.  I finished this one in roughly 5 or 6 hours on a Saturday night.  I devoured the book, it would have been a shorter read time, but conversations were being had while reading.

There is nothing about this novel that I didn't like.  I love than the MC Miranda had a troubled past, run-ins with the law and overcame all of that and became an officer herself.  She quickly becomes the strong female lead that I love reading in novels.  As we read through the story, we see she has faults and weakness but that makes her all the more relatable and likable.  I could have done without the relationship aspect between her and her partner Jake, but it wasn't overdone nor did it overthrow the rest of the story.

The story is not completely predictable and sends a few red herrings your way.  I figured one aspect out, but not the other which blew my mind and I may have whispered "no way" when I got to the big reveal.  Spindler presents a story that holds its own without the need for excessive violence, gore, or sex scenes.  Sure there is a little bit of everything, but it isn't overdone, she presents it neatly and in a tasteful manner.

I would highly recommend this book to other mystery, thriller/suspense readers.  It is definitely one to add to the book shelf or to read shelf.  It will hold your attention and make you crave what happens next.  I have already added some of Spindler's other books to my to read shelf and will search my library for more.

The Liar's Girl

Title: The Liar's Girl
Author: Catherine Ryan Howard
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Source: Kindle Ebook
Rating: 3.5 out of 5




A young woman's body has been found in the Grand Canal in Dublin.  The body is that of a female student at St. John's College.  The local Garda detectives believe it is the work of a copycat of the Canal Killer, 10 years ago, so the visit the original serial killer.  He tells them he will talk, but only to his ex-girlfriend Alison.  Alison thought she left all of this behind her when she moved to the Netherlands, but once the Garda show up on her doorstep, she knows she needs to help.  Alison and Detective Malone work together to put the pieces together to stop the current killings and possibly free an innocent man.  Alison is forced to relive her past and face the demons she has been hiding from.

I am not sure what made me pick up this novel.  It spoke to me for some reason. Once I started reading it, I could not stop.  I couldn't get enough of them.  I felt as if I had known the characters personally and wanted to wrap my arms around Alison.  It is a clever use of today's technology and the dangers associated with sites like Facebook or twitter.  It really stands out form other novels in this genre, and is a fast paced read.  If you love thrillers, you would definitely love this one as well.


The premise is appealing to me, lately I have gotten into thriller/mystery novels a lot.  While it really stands out from others, it doesn't seem to compare with some of the other novels I have read.  Catharine Ryan Howard is a phenomenal story-teller.  She knows just how to grasp her readers and hold them hostage until the very end.  She gets into her readers minds and sets up camp, but I almost feel like more could have been done.  Some aspects were almost too predictable and a few things that drew away from the enjoyment factor of this novel.  One of which being that the murderer wasn't fully fleshed out.  His motive of teach women a certain lesson didn't seem all too plausible because how would they know that that was his motive.


While the book is a page-turner and held my attention  until the very end I still was wondering on a few things, like if Alison was careful to not post on the web and kept herself secret, how did the Garda find her in the first place?  The cops seems a little inept at their jobs and were more interested in flirting with Alison (at least Malone was), they didn't contribute anything to the case other than what Alison provided them.  She was a better detective than the actual detectives.  One thing I did enjoy was that there was nothing gory or sexual.  It was a clean mystery which I highly enjoyed.


Overall it was a good novel, I enjoyed the story and felt like I was helping to piece together the puzzle.  I would recommend it if you enjoy this genre.

Book of Killowen

Title: Book of Killowen
Author: Erin Hart
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


When a ancient body is found in the trunk of a car buried in bog located in Killowen Ireland, archeologists Nora Gavin and Cormac Maguire are asked to assist with the scene.  It is then that a second modern body is found and the mystery grows deeper.  The case takes the detectives and archeologist to an artists "Retreat" not far in search of answers, but everyone seems to be hiding something.  The further the archeologists dig the further into an ancient mystery they go.  Could the recent murder have something to do with the legendary Book of Killowen?  The other man found in the bog, could he have been a scribe or a monk of old?  Nora and Cormac embark on a journey into the past in order to solve the mystery of the present.  As they do so they begin to put their lives in more danger.



Medieval manuscripts, a bog in Ireland's beautiful countryside and a possible murder, what more could a girl possibly ask for?  I randomly picked this book up at the library because the cover caught my eye, and then when I read the synopsis, I felt the need to read more.  I am glad I found it or else I would not have discovered this author.  Erin's writing enthralled me from the beginning with the discovery of the bog man in the trunk of a car, then finding out he was centuries old! It was a great start to the novel.  I love how she incorporated history, art, philosophy, and a little bit of religion into the story.  She masterfully weaved her tale together that made it more than interesting.  I would say I would prefer her writing and stories over that of Dan Brown.

This is the fourth book in a series and I didn't feel like I was missing anything or felt lost when reading about the characters.  There are some things about Nora that may have been explained and happened in previous novels, but they don't affect the effect of the story.  If anything I want to go back and read the older novels as well.  I loved her character and how eager she was to learn and find out new things and how excited she got when she learned something new.  It felt like I was a part of her character because I love this sort of thing, well not murder but the archeology.  Honestly this book re-sparked my interest in archeology.  It is evident that Erin Hart did research and knew what she was talking about especially with wax tablets, ancient philosophers, the region her story takes place.  So much so, that it made me want to research Killowen and see if there really was a monastery there and add it to my list of places to visit.

The book is unpredictable, when things begin to get revealed you are astonished because the people involved are people you wouldn't have suspected.  Hart does a wonderful job at keeping things a secret and revealing just a small bit at a time.  She leaves her readers spellbound by the story, setting, characters, everything about her book leaves readers craving for more.  I looked into her and it seems there has been anything written since Book of Killowen, but I know I will go back and search for the other books in this series.  I need more of Nora Gavin!  I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a good story.

The Crossing by Micheal Connelly

Title: The Crossing

Author: Michael Connelly

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A woman is found brutally murdered in her bed, Mickey Haller is defending the prime suspect and he is certain the man is innocent.  He only choice is to turn to his half brother, retired LAPD Detective: Harry Bosch.  Harry does not want to work for the defense, as he feels he is betraying his fellow officers.  As Harry goes through the file he realizes there are so many holes in the case, but if the suspect didn't kill the woman...who is the real killer?  Harry cannot let that thought sit in his head and gets the help from his former partner to look into this case.  The case leads him somewhere he wishes it didn't: back to the PD, to someone who
has been watching him as well.  Will Harry be able to prove Haller's client innocent and find the real killer before it's too late?

Michael Connelly is a master in the art of thriller and suspense.  He delivers a great installment to his series.  I haven't read any other  novel from Michael Connelly, but I feel as though I should go and get a few more of his novels and delve into the world of mystery a little more than I already have.  It is easy for a reader to find themselves devouring this novel and finishing it in no time, even if you aren't much of a reader.  He has a way of combining plot and character development in a way that makes you feel like you are not reading a novel, but watching a movie.  I would LOVE to see this made into a movie or something.  There is not a lot of gory scenes nor are there any explicit sex scenes.

Readers are taken on a suspense filled ride as Bosch navigates his way through this case.  There are so many twists and turns, it is not a book that is predictable.  Sure you find yourself thinking you have figured out the case, but many times you find out you were close, but no cigar.  The characters are realistic and compelling.  Readers will find themselves hoping the Bosch will be able to find the evidence needed to prove that Haller's client is innocent and that someone else was the murderer.  I love how Bosch is torn throughout the novel with working with someone on the defense rather than the prosecution that he is accustomed too.  The question he struggles with is he betraying his fellow officers by taking this case?  What is more important one man's freedom and finding the truth, or remaining loyal to his comrades?

If this is the quality of novel one can expect from Michael Connelly, I cannot wait to get my hands on his other novels.  I would recommend this novel to mystery and suspense lovers as this will keep you up all night until you find out who the killer really is.  I highly recommend this novel to all readers and give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.  Add it to your library today.

Beautiful Storm

Alicia has always been drawn to the beauty of lightening, more so after the mysterious death of her father.  During a storm one night Alicia witnesses a fight in between the flashes of lightening.  When she gets to the scene, she finds military tags with the name Liliana Valdez on it.  After some research, she discovered this woman has been missing for two months, and takes the tags to the police.  This is a piece to a the puzzle that allows the police to begin further investigations, but Alicia decides to try and see what she can find.  She meets Michael along the way, a man who is the prime suspect in the investigation simply because he spoke to the Liliana. They work together to piece together the puzzle of Liliana's disappearance, a quest that takes them half-way across the country and into something far dangerous and sinister.  Their search begins to spark more disappearances and murders, will Alicia and Michael find out the truth before it's too late?

This is another book I came across on BookBub (if you are an avid reader and don't use this, you should).  The story is very suspenseful and you don't know what is going to happen next.  You try to figure out who took Liliana, but when the truth is revealed you will be taken away.  I definitely was.  There was a little bit of romantic tension between the two, but it doesn't take over the story.  Freethy does a fantastic job including this into the foreground of the story, but maintains the true mystery of a missing woman.  I actually don't like when it feels like authors are pushing characters together just for the same of a romantic sub story, Freethy doesn't do this.  She develops a friendship with romantic tension mixed in. 

The characters had depth to them, both Alicia and Michael had their own demons to tame while performing their search.  I think this gave them the feel of being...well human.  I loved the idea of lightening having paranormal attributes, and almost wanted something more from this, something more to tie it into the story other than an explanation as to why Alicia and her father were obsessed with this act of nature.  It is not a "typical" mystery with blood, gore or anything like that.  It is relatively clean, it does have a few sex scenes.  Nothing too "steamy" but sex scenes nonetheless.

Overall this was a good enough book to read, I wouldn't say it was phenomenal or out of this world.  But it is one of those books that will draw you in and keep you interested until the very end.  I do recommend other mystery lovers to pick up a copy.  Also if you normally aren't a fan of mystery, I would say give this book a chance, you might be surprised.  I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating. 

Where The Lost Girls Go

Laura is a rookie cop trying to show she is capable of doing her job despite her small stature and meek manner.  She obtains her first investigation when a car crashes into a tree and goes up in flames.  Clues point to a homicide, possibly involving the daughter of a famous local author.  As Laura digs for clues and interviews the family she is convinced she knows who the killer is.  But then the identity of the Jane Doe is revealed to be a missing girl, the investigation takes a different path.  How did the missing girl find her way into the Jameson estate and eventually one of their cars?  How did she meet her end and why?  Admist this investigation is another bigger one into the corruption of the police force and how deep does it go.  Why are some officers given special duty, while others are hung out to dry?  Get ready for an action packed novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.


I had the honor of receiving this book from the publisher/author via NetGallery.  I could not have been more excited for the opportunity to read this book.


It starts out with excitement with the fiery car accident and the mysterious driver, but as the story goes on it deeper into a homicide and keeps you guessing at what will happen next.  There seemed to be a lot of premature theories and jumping to conclusions, but I guess that would come from the main character being new to the force, just off her training.  There was another sub-plot about corruption in the force that I think was unnecessary, the story stood well on its own without that added tidbit.  It almost feels a little too overdone - corruption in the force, but the main character and a few secondary ones are working to expose it as they are the only good ones.  I hope there is a bigger story that come from that, but at this point it is still a mystery why that was included. 




There are still a few questions within this story as I got to the end that leaves the book feeling almost unfinished. The moments of Laura expressing feelings for her neighbor felt more like fluff than anything else especially after he "sort of is seeing someone,"  that left me with a let down as there was a build up of possibly them getting together or a huge surprise twist him being the mastermind behind it all, but no.  Again something else that could have been left completely out of the story and it would not have made much of a difference.  I highly enjoyed the story and liked the added touch of "squatters" in the woods that was something different added to the story. 


It was a mixture of predictable and unpredictable, if that makes any sense.  There were parts I was able to figure out while others were a complete surprise.  It held my attention throughout the story, I couldn't wait to find out who was the mastermind behind the murders.  There were a few things that I was surprised wasn't revealed earlier such as the gravesite, I think having someone find it earlier and finding the girls already in it would have added to the story and suspense of who was killing these girls.  I could almost see this plot reflected in a crime drama or movie.


I would highly recommend this book to mystery lovers of all sorts, as well as general fiction, suspense fans.  I think there is a little of something everyone can enjoy in this book.  I give this a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Woman In Cabin 10

Lo is a travel journalist scheduled to go on a luxury cruise for an assignment.  A few days before the cruise is to set sail, he apartment is broken into shaking her up and causing her to be more on edge and frightened than normal.  It disrupts her sleep, eating and emotions.  But she decides to go on the trip anyway and try to get ahead in her field.  While there she meets people perfect for networking during a dinner.  Afterwards she tries to find some sleep only to woken by a sound in the cabin next door, and the sound of the sliding door opening and a something being thrown overboard.  Her heightened nerves already on edge she notified security and he informs her that no one was in Cabin 10.  She goes on a wild goose chase to find this woman she knew was there and figure out what really happened and who on the ship could be a murderer. 


Woman in Cabin 10 is Ruth Ware's second novel, and is taking the literary world by storm.  She has the strong ability to create a suspenseful, edge of your seat thrill of a tale.  She develops a story that takes the reader on a wild goose chase of a who done it, heightened with the unknown identity of the woman in cabin 10 as well as Lo's own anxiety and fears after being burgled a few nights before the cruise.  Ware, draws on the readers emotion to create the suspense and thrilling atmosphere of this novel and keeps the reader guessing.  There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel, although there were plot ideas that arose but were never expanded on, such as the internet/phone service being an issue.  She does a great job at building the suspense and making the reader want to know what will happen next.




The characters were a little hard to get attached to, maybe because there were so many to keep track of, I'm not sure.  Your heart goes out to Lo in the beginning, but she self medicates with alcohol a little too much in the novel, but again that plays into the storyline.  I downright despised Ben and couldn't believe Lo continued to trust him after his actions after dinner the first night.  I wanted more of Cole and some of the other characters, especially Anne and Richard.  The pacing starts out slow, but then picks up after the possible murder happens, but even then it still feels just a little bit slow as readers and assaulted with numerous possibilities and theories, though none of them are really followed up on.  Regardless of a few faults this book is a real attention getter from the beginning and keeps you interested/entertained until the very end.


I enjoyed it and finished within an evening.  I would recommend this highly to other mystery, and fiction lovers.  I give it a happy 4 star rating and look forward to what Ruth has in store for us next.


** If you haven't yet, check out the review for Ruth's debut novel In A Dark Dark Wood.

Purr M Murder

Sydeny left New York after ending her engagement and returned hom to Deer Park where she now helps her sister run the local animal shelter.  Syd and Kat organize a fun fundraising event with a local café shop: a cat café! where people can pay an extra fee and have their coffee and play with adoptable cats.  Things are going great that is until Trowbridge Littleton begins to make troubles from them and threatens to not only shut down the event, but also the shelter.  Kat and Syd decide to try and reason with him only to find his dead body.  Now the sisters need to try and clear their names off the list of suspects.  When Syd starts investigating further, with the help of a tabby cat Toby, the killer sets their sights on her.

We cats decided the human needed to review a book with the hero is a cat! I mean, we are the literary cats after all right?  The human was honored to review a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGallery, awesomesauce right?   The cover is cute with the orange tabby looking all mischievous with his skull cookie, and makes the reader wonder what the book will be about and how the cat will play a part into the story.  It reminded me a lot of the "Cat Who" series by Lilian Jackson Braun.






While this novel was light and airy, it was very suspenseful and keep me guessing at what would happen next to the characters.  It doesn't have many dark undertones that most mystery novels have, but then most mystery novels that have an animal as a central character seem to be light and airy.  Lotempio creates characters and a setting that leaves readers invested in them.  I couldn't wait to find out what would happen with the shelter, almost more than I wanted Littleton's murderer found, is that odd?  The story was almost hypnotic in that it pulls readers into the story and time seems to stand still until something interrupts you.






It is an easy read, but not to the point of feeling too simplistic or "childish" (I'm not sure if that is the word that I want).    I found myself curled up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa getting lost in the book on a snowy afternoon.  It was exactly the kind of book I needed to read to lift my spirits and bring a smile to my face.  I seen on the cover that it is a part of series, and I look forward to what Lotempio has in store for us in other books.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery novels, animals, cats, a good soft read, and reading in general.  I would even allow a child of pre-teen age read this because there isn't a lot of gore, sex, or otherwise inappropriate material.  It's a good, clean, fantastic book.  Keep up the good work Toni.


My rating is an enthusiastic 5 paws up.

The Night Alive by Heather Graham

Abigail has just finished her training at the FBI academy, and is awaiting her new assignment when she gets an odd message from her grandfather stating he needs her.  Upon her arrival she makes her way into the tunnels under her grandfather's tavern where she finds the body of her grandfather.  With a string of murders in the area, Abby believes someone killed him and asked for help from the FBI.  They sent her a consultant to help investigate the crimes, and then the Krewe Unit.  There is something that makes this unit special, they all have paranormal attributes, Abby herself can see the dead.  She believes it is just her ancestor the pirate Blue Anderson, but there are more.  The investigation begins to hit close to home when they discover all the victims have one thing in common....the tavern.  With tunnels traveling throughout Savannah the killer can slip in and out without being noticed.  Someone is pretending to be a pirate and murdering innocent women, but not any pirate, Blue.  Will the team be able to find the killer before it is too late?

To say I couldn't put this novel down would be an understatement, I honestly had it with me everywhere I went trying to read it any chance I got.  There is something for everyone, mystery, suspense, romance, humor, even a little history.  I think one of my favorite characters is the ghost pirate himself, Blue.  He doesn't say much and he doesn't even appear much in the story, but even as a reader you just know he is there watching.  He is a presence that lingers throughout the novel.  I love it!  Abby is a smart strong woman that learns to trust her instinct and fight for what she believes it.  I found it hard to believe that she didn't piece together one of the most telling clues to the killer (nope won't tell you).  It was almost obvious to me as the reader, it should have been so to her.

Even though there were elements of predictability, it was a great story.  Graham weaves her tale beautifully and paced perfectly.  She tells it in a way that lures readers into the story the way the killer lured his victims into dark places.  I loved the use of tunnels under the city and pirate lore.  There were things I didn't like, people they used as suspects but others they didn't and I had to wonder why.  There is one big telling clue to the killer and no one figures it out until it is too late, as stated I couldn't understand why they couldn't figure it out.

Night Alive is the first book by Heather Graham that I have read, and I must say she gained a fan in me.  Something I did not realize was that it is a part of a series, but you don't need to read the other books to understand what is happening.  The Krewe Hunters are explained in this book, and made me want to read the other books in the series as well as other books by Graham.  I may end up needing a shelf dedicated to her the way I do for Ted Dekker and Sherrilyn Kenyon.  I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 because there was too much predictability within the story.  I look forward to reading more of Graham's novels.

One Little Lie

Title: One Little Lie by Steven Tyler

Media Source: Paperback

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

 

Recommendations:  I would recommend this novel for those who like light mystery.  This isn't a murder mystery or one where people get threatened if they keep looking for something.  It is light hearted good novel.

 

One Little Lie is a mystery novel featuring Luna Susan George.  What a name!  Luna is working for her brother's private investigating firm when he goes on his honeymoon.  During that time a woman comes in asking for a pet detective. This is where the one little lie begins and becomes more lies after another.  Luna states she will take the case and begins to search for a rare cat worth roughly $2,000, what she finds is there is more going on in this household than the matriarch believes.  Someone is stealing the artwork.  Luna (who goes by Susan) spends the rest of the book trying to solve the mystery of the fake artwork almost forgetting about the cat.

 

 I admit I was not sure what to expect with this one once "pet detective" was mentioned, but it was a surprisingly good novel.  There was a lot of information on the art work mentioned showing the author did his homework on these pieces which is important when writing about such things.  He created an interesting character in Luna Susan.  While she seemed to be easily distracted she tried to remain on point.  How many of us have a hard time accomplishing that?  She struggles with keeping track of the little lies and manages to figure out both mysteries before time runs out.  Tyler wraps everything up nicely at the end and doesn't leave readers wondering what happened.

 

One Little Lie is a light airy mystery novel, almost reminiscent of The Cat Who novels I read when I was younger.  There isn't a mysterious murder or threats being made, but a genuine mystery of missing art work and a missing cat.  I did enjoy all the film noir mentions, it was a nice touch, almost as if Susan (or Luna) wished to be in one.  The novel isn't over the top or paced slowly.  Everything progressed naturally.  Steven did a good job with it and I am honored he allowed me to read and review his book.  If you enjoy mystery novels that don't rely on murder or threats being made, check out this novel.  It is was a pleasant read for a Saturday afternoon.

 

** Disclosure:  My Tyler provided me with a copy of the book for an honest review.  **

After The Auction/ The Lost Torah of Shanghai

I am going to do something a little different than normal, I am going to combine two books into this review because if you read one, you need to read the other.

After The Auction and The Lost Torah of Shanghai by Lind Frank
Media source: Paperback

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Recommendation:  I highly recommend these novels for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, historical elements.  I was enthralled with both books and recommend them to anyone who wants a good book on their shelf.

Both novels focus on Lily Kovner as she searches for lost Jewish artifacts.  She is a spry woman who lets the journalist aspect of her character sometimes get the best of her.  Much like Rachel in The Amber Room, Lily travels across the globe searching for answers, only to get more than she bargained for.

After The Auction:

While attending an auction for work, Lily Kovner is shocked to see a Sedar plate on the auction table.  What's special about this plate?  It is the plate that was stolen from her family home by Nazi soldiers.  Lily embarks on a quest to not only get the plate back but also find justice even if that means she needs to travel to various continents to find it.  She and her family and friends are shaken once Lily begins to received threatening notes and phone calls.  Even though a woman who was aiding in the search is found dead, Lily continues her search.  Along the way Lily reconnects with long lost family, begins a love affair, and learns more about the looting of Jewish artifacts and what happened afterwards.

From the very beginning, I was engrossed in this story.  I have always been a sucker for stories dealing with the Holocaust, even if they are fiction.  I found Lily's story to be fascinating and hung on every twist and turn.  Frank included surprises you didn't expect, even if you expected it to happen, you were still surprised.  She created a character in Lily that readers feel immense compassion for, and are able to feel each emotion she goes through during the course of her quest.  I have heard and read stories about the Holocaust and survivors etc, but nothing about the looting and recovery of art/artifacts.  The plot was well designed and unfolded wonderfully; it kept you interested all the way through.  There was not one point where I wondered when the story would climax, everything built up perfectly. 

The Lost Torah of Shanghai:

The Lost Torah of Shanghai takes place about a year after After The Auction lets off.  Ruth, Lily's cousin, learns a valuable Torah her family protected has been stolen.  She contacts Lily and Simon to help her solve the mystery of who stole it and why.  Once again Lily travels across the world in search of this Torah.  Just as the year before, she is plague with threatening letters and phone calls trying to sway her from finding this artifact. 

There are a lot of the same elements between the two books.  In both she is threatened in somewhat the same manner (phones calls, notes), a relative is revealed, family history is discovered, even someone related to the search is murdered again.  While there are the same elements, it is done differently and presented in a different way.  It becomes new in the second book.  I found the history behind the different types of Jewish heritage very interesting and found myself wanting to research them to learn more for myself.  Both novels holds the readers attention and captivates them through each novel.

Linda did an exquisite job with dialogue, descriptions, character development.  We have a strong, independent woman in Lily, her independence almost becomes a fault as she doesn't let others assist or protect her. A woman who feels she can take care of herself and hold her own against threats, which she does.  Most strong characters are younger, but we see a 60 something year old woman fighting off assailants, highly intelligent and resourceful.  She is an amazing character. In the second book: Lost Torah of Shanghai, we see her evolve, display vulnerability, and reveal aspects of herself we didn't see in the first book.  Throughout Lost Torah, Lily is referred to as the Jewish Miss Marple; a slight nod to the Agatha Christi character, but I am not sure if I would compare these two books to the Agatha Christi series.

Simon's character, I wanted so much more from.  He held a lot of mystery and intrigued, but wasn't used as much as I would have expected, especially in the second book.  The first he was Lily's love interest, and while he remains the love interest, he doesn't seem to have a bigger role than a little fluff with an argument or moments of agreement with Lily.  The same with Ruth, while it is her family the story deals with, she is not a major character in the story. I expected her to be almost like a side-kick in this story but she fell to the background.

I highly enjoyed reading both books, I devoured them within a day that I started reading them.  I couldn't get enough of the story.  So much in both novels were interesting that I wanted to look up afterwards to learn more about such as the Kindertransport and the different Jewish heritages.  Both novels spark a renewed interest in history for me.