"Margot"

"Margot" by Jillian Cantor is Jillian's idea of what might have happened if Anne Frank's sister, Margot, had survived the concentration camp and somehow escaped to America with the help of one of her mother's friends.  Since she shows up listed as having died in the camp, her father and everyone else assumes she is dead and she is living life as a non-Jew, Margie Franklin, in Philadelphia.

The novel is well written and shares what it is like for Margot to hide her true self and the fact that she is Jewish and the conflict that results.  She no longer wants to be a Jew but she still privately celebrates the sabbath in her small single apartment.

She is also conflicted about Peter, the young man in hiding with her family.  They had a plan that, if they survived, they would come to Philadelphia under assumed names and find one another.  What she finds when she searches for him is unexpected and what she finds in working for a young lawyer who is a Jew is also unexpected.  It was well worth the read and I am glad it was recommended to me by a friend.  pazt

"The Good Witch"

I started watching the TV series, "The Good Witch" on Netflix and decided I wanted to watch the Hallmark movies starring the same cast so I checked out "The Good Witch," the first one in the series, and watched it yesterday.  It sets the scene for the TV series explaining why Cassie Nightengale moved to Middleton and how she became the owner of "Gray House."  It's also the start of a new romance for the widower town sheriff, Jake.  While she is accepted by his family, not all the townspeople are welcoming -- particularly the mayor's wife.  Will she be able to overcome their objections and find a permanent home?  pazt

"The Princess Saves Herself In This One"

"The Princess Saves Herself In This One" is a collection of poetry by Amanda Lovelace which I devoured in less than 45 minutes.  I am sure I should have taken more time to really ponder the meaning of her poetry but the library wants the book back so the three people waiting for it can have their chance to read it, too.

Lovelace poetry is hard to describe but I found myself identifying with what sounds like a complicated relationship with her mother.  This is a book I need to purchase and reread regularly so I can savor the words of this feminist social justice activist.  pazt

"The Nursing Home Murder"

"The Nursing Home Murder" by Ngaio Marsh is her third book in the Roderick Alleyn mystery series.  I read "A Man Lay Dead" then somehow skipped over the second book in the series but realized it when a mention was made of that book in "The Nursing Home Murder" when Alleyn asks Nigel Bathgate and his fiancee, Angela, to help him solve this case.

I have seen the movie adaptation of "The Nursing Home Murder" so I struggled with reading the details during the first half of the book because it was all so familiar to me but I had forgotten who the murderer was so became more engrossed as Alleyn began closing in on him/her.  It's a good read but can get a little confusing at times trying to keep all the medical staff straight.  pazt

"The Plot Thickens"

Mary Higgins Clark presents "The Plot Thickens" which is a collection of short story mysteries written by the following authors:  Lawrence Block, Edna Buchanan, Mary Higgins Clark, Carol Higgins Clark, Nelson DeMille, Lauren DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Linda Fairstein, Walter Mosley, Nancy Pickard, Ann Rule, and Donald E. Westlake.  Their contributions were for Literacy Partners, a not-for-profit organization that teaches reading through local and national programs and the impetus behind this book was Mary Higgins Clark.

Mary asked ten of her fellow mystery writers to donate a story for this collection in addition to writing one herself.   The only thing she asked was that each story incorporate three items - a thick fog, a thick steak, and a thick book.  I loved each and every one of the stories and seeing how they were able to insert these three things into their story.  I was familiar with most of the authors but the DeMilles and Donald E. Westlake were new to me.

If you like mysteries, this is a good any time read of short story mysteries.  I took it on vacation for my evening bedside reading and I look forward to checking out books by all these authors - some old favorites and some new discoveries.  pazt

"The English Wife"

"The English Wife" by Lauren Willig (a New York Times bestselling author) was featured at my local library and called to me so I started reading it last night.  That was a mistake because I didn't sleep much!  I've been told in the past that you take your age and subtract it from 100 and that's how many pages you read in a book before you decide if you want to finish it or not.  I won't disclose my age but let's just say that there are more books out there than I have time left in my lifetime to read -- and new ones coming out all the time.  Since I don't want to just spend my life reading - although there is nothing wrong with that!--, I sometimes skim a book to find the answer to the mystery.  Having said that, though, I have to admit I do feel guilty when I do that!

This book flashes back from present day New York (1899) to the past in London (1894) and continues to go back and forth to tell the story of Bayard (Bay) Van Duyvil and his bride, Annabelle, who met in London.  We begin with the discovery of Bay's body and the disappearance of Annabelle leaving their twin son and daughter orphaned and the son heir to his father's fortune.  The story is told from the perspective of his younger sister, Janie, who is kept cowed by her mother and a bit intimidated by her cousin, Anne, who Janie envies for the closeness Anne always had to Bay.

In the novel Janie comes into her own defying her mother and seeking the help of a newspaperman, James Burke, to discover the truth about what happened the night her brother was killed -- something her mother wants to hush up.  The papers are saying Bay murdered his wife then killed himself and this is not the memory of their parents that Janie wants their children to have.

As the story unfolds and new discoveries/truths are uncovered in the process, twists and turns lead to a surprising conclusion -- a great read!  pazt