The Fruitcake Murders - Ace Collins

Title:               The Fruitcake Murders

Author:            Ace Collins

Publisher:        Abingdon Press

Market:           General

Genre:             Fiction, Mystery

Length:            320 pages

Pub. Date:       October 6, 2015

Description (from Amazon):

As Christmas 1946 draws near, thirty-something marine officer-turned-homicide detective Lane Walker has his hands full. Three men with seemingly no relationship to each other have been murdered, including the powerful District Attorney. The only connection between the crimes? The weapons: twenty-year-old unopened fruitcake tins manufactured by a company that is no longer in business.

While some foods may be to die for, fruitcake isn't one of them! This heaping helping of murder will be no easy task for Walker, and he certainly doesn't need the determined and feisty Betsy Clayton, the political reporter for The Chicago Herald, getting in the way.

Employing witty dialogue and historical accuracy, The Fruitcake Murders offers equal parts murder, mystery, and mayhem in a perplexing whodunit set in the days just after World War II.

My Review:

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy via the publisher at NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this book as I was in the mood for a good mystery.  And, hello, the author’s name is “Ace Collins;” how cool is that?  Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed in the actuality of the novel.

The first turn-off was all of the issues with the text.  Several of the time stamps were off or out of order or didn’t jive with the content of that section.  There were many contradictions and inconsistency as well as poor grammar, misplaced words and missing quotation marks.   As a former English teacher (as well as having a penchant for details), all of those things strongly affect my overall reading experience even if the story itself is exceptional.

Also, just the whole tone of the book was a bit over the top for me.  I think the author was going for a “classic Dick Tracy movie” type feel with the swapping between first and last name usage, trying on the 1940’s vernacular, etc.  But it just didn’t work.  And the continued reference to how good looking, gorgeous, and handsome everyone was drove me a bit batty.  Even with some of the content and the date/time tags, it was hard to remember the historical setting of the book.

That being said, I think the mystery itself has good bones.  While I was pretty certain “whodunit” by the end, I was waffling between a few different possibilities for most of the book. 

The characters were definitely very character-y.  They were entertaining but hard to get attached to.  And the love triangle was flat ridiculous. 

The start of the story had me fairly lost.  However, I think that’s pretty typical of mystery books. That’s what helps make them mysterious.  So I was okay with it.  Especially as the book kept me guessing through most of it.  I changed my thoughts on the murderer a couple of times throughout the course of reading.  That always makes it more enjoyable. 

I don’t recall any spiritual or supernatural elements.  If they were there, I missed them.  As far as questionable content, there are murders.  But I think any reader would expect that from the title.  I really can’t think of any particular triggers this book might contain for a more sensitive or conservative reader.  Even the descriptions of the murder scenes were pretty tame.

Readers who enjoy easy to read mysteries would like this story as well.  There were actually a few different mysteries to be solved throughout.  However, I don’t know that I’ll be rushing out to buy the next thing Ace Collins writes.  Maybe, though. 

***This review is also posted on The Christian Manifesto and my Goodreads account.***

Pros:

·       Good mystery elements

·       Kept me guessing

·       Easy to read

Cons:

·       Grammatical errors

·       Inconsistencies and contradictions

·       Annoying character interactions

My Rating:  2.5 out of 5  (I feel like it was poor from a grammatical and consistency standpoint.  But as the mystery itself was good, I’ll give it a 2.5 for average)

Mistress of Tall Acre - Laura Frantz

Title:               Mistress of Tall Acre

Author:            Laura Frantz

Publisher:        Revel

Market:           Christian

Genre:             Romance; Historical Fiction

Length:            400 pages

Pub. Date:       September 8, 2015

Description (from Amazon):

The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal--readers find it all in the rich pages of this newest historical novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz. Her careful historical details immerse the reader in the story world, and her emotional writing and finely tuned characters never cease to enchant fans both old and new.

My Review:

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy via the publisher at NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I chose this book based on both its cover and the description.  I am a fan of historical fiction.  I enjoy learning about times past cushioned in a good tale.  I did go into the book expecting a bit of a mystery to be solved.  Since that wasn’t the case, I was a bit disappointed.  However, the writing was engaging and I enjoyed the story overall.

The book had great descriptions and period information.  I really believe that the author, Laura Frantz, did her research and immersed herself the in the revolutionary time period.  However, I found the dialogue – especially between Sophie and Seamus – to be stilted.  And even Lily Cate, the general’s young daughter, seemed overly precocious.  The flow of the story was choppy in a lot of places.

Despite the dialogue issues, I did find myself rooting for Sophie & Seamus to work out their issues and find happiness.  While there wasn’t a lot of character growth in an outward way, a lot of it was implied internally.

The romance was both sweet and chastely written.  The spiritual elements were well-integrated into the characters and the story overall. 

The only potentially questionable content would involve a spoiler.  Suffice it to say there was nothing graphic or offensive in the story.

The novel was very predictable.  But most historical romances are.  That’s what makes it a sweet, comforting read.  I believe it would appeal to women who like to read historical fiction and sometime need a book that doesn’t require them to think deeply.  I enjoyed it overall.

Pros:

• Great immersion into the time period
• Detailed descriptions
  
  

Cons:

• Stilted conversations
• Choppy flow

My Rating:  3.5 out of 5 (good)

Come Winter - Clare Gutierrez

      

Publisher:        River Grove Books

Market:            General

Genre:             Historical Fiction

Length:            408 pages

Pub. Date:       February 19, 2015

 

Description (from Amazon):

Lady Caterina Tabor, an extraordinary young girl who, en route to England, finds herself captured and at the mercy of a stern and powerful lord. Forced to work as a common kitchen maid in the dank halls of Dermoth Castle, Caty dreams of her past as a free and autonomous maiden with a bright future in the English courts—did fate have other plans?

This early trial is but the first in a litany of shocking tribulations; imprisoned, abused, accused of sorcery, and kidnapped, Caty’s life is for so long anything but charmed—but you can’t keep a soaring heart shackled. As we follow this misunderstood maiden’s journey through both the unexpected, electrifying joys of new love and the pain of mind-boggling adversity, we become eyewitnesses to the astonishing way she not only transforms herself but also enchants, inspires, and invigorates those around her.

Spanning decades of castle life, treacherous journeys, bloody battles, and heartache, Come Winter is a sweeping yet personal tale of a brave woman who at once embodies and transcends the prescribed, and oftentimes oppressive, roles her society demands. Let Clare Gutierrez (author of Dancing with the Boss) curate your voyage back to the Scottish highlands of ages past—a time and place in which simply staying alive constituted a noble adventure, and becoming a patron of the oppressed and the impoverished could make you a hallowed queen.

 

My Review:

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Coming into this book, I didn’t really know what to expect; the write up on NetGalley just seemed interesting. 

I turned the final page pleasantly satisfied.

I was immediately drawn into the story of Caty and her life.  Why was she being sent to court?  Where does she get her strength?  How is she going to deal with each new obstacle?  It was a book I didn’t want to put down.  Caty is strong but not harsh.  She is compassionate and innovative, not to mention intriguing. 

My one complaint would be at times the narrative was confusing as I was unclear how much time, if any had passed.  It seems as the book progressed, the author got better at dileneating that.  But for at least the first half, the timeline seemed sketchy.  Thankfully, for the most part that didn’t hinder the story itself.

I will caution conservative readers that there are moments of passion sprinkled throughout – no more than a handful.  They are always between married individuals and not described in great detail.  Still, they were more than I generally like in my reading.

Pros:  appealing characters; engaging plot; fascinating book

Cons:  uncertain timeline in portions; some passion

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 (excellent)

Dauntless (Valiant Hearts, Book 1) - Dina L. Sleiman

Publisher:
  Baker Publishing Group
Release Date:
  March 3, 2015
Market:
  Christian
Genre:
–Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Length:
–368 pages
My Rating:
   3.5/5

BEFORE READING

 About This Book (from Goodreads)

Though once a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village. Dubbed "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest," her band of followers soon become enemies of the throne when they hijack ill-gotten gold meant for the king.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, will he choose fame or love?

How and Why I Acquired This Book

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My Expectations about This Book

A female Robin Hood…what wasn’t there to love about the premise?  I like the cover art of a brave woman with a bow and arrow.  I also was drawn into the heart of the author by the “Reader’s Note” at the start of the story.

CRITIQUE

Were my expectations met?

My expectations were somewhat met.  By the cover, I didn’t realize that Merry was actually a teenager.  So I didn’t go into it expecting a YA read.  I expected a lot of drama and action.  Instead, I got more description, introspection, and love triangulation.  I wanted to love the book; I ended up merely liking it. 

Prose & Dialogue

There was *a lot* of description in this book – clothes, features, landscape.  If it could be described, it was.  Repeatedly.  Some of it was overkill.  I’ve got it…Merry’s gorgeous and Timothy has really, really blonde hair.

While I found the prose dragging with description, I found the dialogue choppy and jumpy.  There were long (whole paragraphs worth) of introspection between sentences in an ongoing dialogue between characters.  It was confusing at times.

Characters & Points-of-View

For being so independent, Merry is pretty preoccupied with thoughts of marriage.  I felt like all of the main characters could have been more dynamic.

I did have a hard time keeping track of all of the orphan children and their various roles in the band.  But I did want to understand all the characters and did care about their outcomes.

Story Structure & Pace

I think the structure and pace of the story was fine.  As mentioned, there was a lot of repeated back story and repeated description.  But other than that, I have no complaints about the structure.

Conflict & Tension

The conflict and tension felt very one-dimensional.  The outcomes pretty predictable. 

I will say that while I guessed the relationship of the villain to the Lord of Wyndeshire, I didn’t know who he was and how he was connected to Timothy until it was revealed.  So that was a nice surprise.

Research & Story World

The story was set in the 1100’s – 1200’s Medieval England.  The setting was important to the story as you needed the conflict of King John and the rebels as the background to many other story pieces.

 

Romantic Tension

This is probably where my biggest disappointment was.  Even though Merry and Timothy both flip-flopped in their emotions quite a bit on the surface, they really didn’t.  It was pretty predictable, even with the attempted love triangle. 

I would have liked it to be more.  Not more of the story as it was already the majority of the main story line.  More realistic, maybe.

Spiritual Connection & Speculative/Supernatural Elements

Timothy is a believer in the Divine Right of Kings and God.  Allen has more of a personal relationship and knowledge of Scriptures.  Merry has been disappointed by God and figures she can do it all on her own. 

I struggled in believing some of the spiritual elements of the story while others were wholly believable.

Questionable Content

This book was pretty squeaky clean.  There is a touch of violence but nothing graphic or incredibly descriptive.

Originality & Predictability

I think the premise of a woman (girl) who robs from the rich to provide for a poor band of orphans is an interesting addition to the genre of YA and historical fiction in general. 

It was pretty predictable but still a pleasant read.

Audience Appropriateness & Appeal

I would say the target audience is young to middle teen girls.  I think it would appeal to non-Christian readers who like predictable, clean romances.

Engagement, Entertainment & Investment

I did stay engaged in the book throughout.  It was a nice read even though I knew what was coming. 

It is the first book in a series.  I can’t imagine where the other books in the series will take it.  Dauntless seemed to wrap up very neatly with no loose ends to carry into a second book.

CONCLUSION

I expected more adventure and less introspection/love.  However, I don’t begrudge the time I spent reading it.

Pros

·         Sweet

·         Interesting concept of a female Robin Hood-esque character

Cons

·         Too predictable in many ways

·         A lot of description, introspection, and repetition

 

**My full review will be published on The Christian Manifesto website on 3.12.15.

 

Caleb's Crossing - Geraldine Brooks

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble: The narrator of Caleb's Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite.



My great-aunt recommended this book to me. And I am incredibly grateful.

I will say that it took several chapters for me to get into the book; I think because of the language. There are a lot of old English terms used (salvages) that took a bit of getting used to it. But once I was acclimated, the story just flowed…and not exactly how I expected it to.

I enjoyed the story. It is loosely based on a character I’d never considered – the first Native American to go to college in the colonies. I grew attached to both Caleb and Bethia throughout the narrative.

I definitely will be checking out more of Geraldine Brooks’s stories after I have made a bit of a dent in my own bookshelves.

The Boy in the Strped Pajamas - John Boyne

I read this book because my students asked me if we were going to watch the movie as a part of our Holocaust unit.


The author, John Boyne, describes his tale as a fable – an allegorical narrative written to make a point. And I believe the story is just that. I grew attached to Bruno and his nine-year-old naievity. It was different to view the events through his eyes.

I did not anticipate the ending until it was coming to a close. But I don’t see how it could have ended any other way.

I really don’t want to give too much away, as that would spoil YOUR reading of it.

Captain Wentworth's Diary - Amanda Grange

This was interesting to read after just reading Persuasion. You get to experience the same story, just from Captain Wentworth’s perspective.



I think Ms. Grange did an excellent job staying true to the characters of Jane Austen’s original tale. The story was delightful to read, and I enjoyed it.

The Quiet Little Woman - Louisa May Alcott

This book is actually composed of several short stories Louisa May Alcott sent to a family of girls. The girls were inspired by the March sisters’ literary society and paper written about in Little Women. When they wrote to Ms. Alcott to share their admiration, she wrote them back.


The short stories carry Christmas as a theme and are quick reads. They are well-written little tales of charity and kind hearts.

Her Mother's Hope - Francine Rivers

Book club book for October…and I really enjoyed it. To the point that as soon as I finished it I got online and put in my library request for the sequel.


In reading the author’s note at the end, it was interesting to find out the story is somewhat biographical. I think that made it a bit more impactful to me.

Francine Rivers covers three generations and several countries in this novel of family dynamics and why we sometimes act the way we do and treat one child differently from another.

The story center around Marta, beginning with her childhood and spanning the years through to Marta’s children having children of their own.

Marta felt driven and determined to be more than her father declared she would be. She sets out on her own to make her dreams come true. She does achieve some, finds love, and makes a life for herself.

Along come children of her own. She hopes to give them a better life. Because of her past, she wants her own children to be strong and independent. Able to stand on their own two feet. She doles out tough love, especially to her most sensitive child.

In all relationships, good intentions can have unintended consequences. Motivations can be misunderstood. We can never truly look at the heart of another and know the “whys” for their “whats.” That’s why grace is so important.

This books shows this in a moving and engaging way.

Akin to Anne - L.M. Montgomery

Yep, still on a L.M. Montgomery kick. This is a collection of her short stories, or boilerplates. The stories, of course, all had more than happy endings and fantastic resolutions. But I enjoyed it as some light reading anyway. It was nice to read something other than her novels (which I enjoy as well).

Fanny & Sue - Karen Stolz

I will have to admit, I did not like this book much for the first four chapters…and then again at the end.


It is a tale of two sisters – twins – growing up in Depression Era St. Louis. The first four chapters really had no voice. It wasn’t until I got to chapter five and the chapter “voice” swaps between Fanny and Sue for the ensuing chapters that I really started getting into it.

It is definitely an easy read. Nothing real heavy or deep. And it keeps moving (the 236 page books covers from 4 or 5 years old until about 20). I enjoyed reading about the places in St. Louis I have visited – Casa Loma, Ted Drewe’s, the Muny, etc. – and their experience there.

There were some holes in the story and I struggled to understand why Sue always bowed to Fanny’s dictates – so I chalked it up to their connection and Fanny’s first born nature.

And I hated the end. Too many loose ends. Grrr…