The Overbooked Bibliophile

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ Based on true events,  A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower  by  Patricia Bernstein  revolves around forty-three-year-old Bethan Carlisle Glentaggart, Countess of Clarencefield and her efforts to save her husband Gavin from execution. “It wasn’t just Catholics against Protestants. There were Dissenters like the Covenanters who hated the Church of Englanders almost as much as they hated the Catholics.” The story is set in 1700s Scotland and England. After the death of Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, laws disallowing Catholics to ascend the throne resulted in bypassing several claimants and establishing the closest Protestant heir George of Hanover as successor. However, those loyal to the Stuart line of heirs support King James II’s son, James Francis Edward, the Chevalier’s claim to the throne. He had been living in exile but was expected to be returning to England shortly to take up arms and lead the rebellion. When Bethan’s husband Gavin ...

My Rating:  4.5⭐️ “Who defines what is weakness? I’d wondered. Isn’t it only the strong who get to decide that? Isn’t it only the strong who have the power to act on what they decide? How can that be right or fair or good?” In 1939, Sixteen-year-old Rosanne “Rosie” Maras is taken in by her Celine and Truman Calvert after her parents and younger brother perished in a tragic accident. Her late father was employed as a vinedresser by the Calverts and she had spent her whole life on the their property in Sonoma County, California. Celine Calvert employs her as a Maid, hoping to prepare her for a future in domestic service. Rosie is somewhat content with her life with the Calverts though she grieves for her losses. Eventually, Rosie ends up pregnant and Celine ships her off to what Rosie assumes will be a home for unwed mothers. What follows is a horrifying sequence of events, depicting one of the worst kinds of evils exacted in the name of science and the greater good, against helpless...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I think each story has its own life. In the beginning, it lives in the writer’s mind, and it grows and changes while it’s there. Changes the writer, too, I’d bet.” He smiled at her, then continued. “At some point it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.” No Two Persons   by   Erica Bauermeister   is a story about a book, “Theo” written by Alice Wein. It is also the story of the twenty-five-year-old author, Alice, who has poured her heart and soul into her debut novel. It is also the story of nine people who read her book – or rather, a collection of stories each of which features someone who has read “Theo” and the difference it has made in their lives - a literary agent and her assistant who is also a new m...

  My Rating:  3.5⭐ Meet Ms. Margo Finch – an upbeat, cheerful, and ever-helpful librarian at Carlyle Public Library – a position she secured based on false credentials and under an assumed name. Unbeknownst to everyone she works with, she has a sinister past– a past that she misses and believes was her true calling - and is wanted for a series of crimes.She seems to have found a sanctuary with her new life as a librarian, though she does spend most of free time alone, indulginging in reminiscence. Enter Patricia, the new reference librarian, an aspiring novelist who is looking for a place to land after the "GREAT REJECTION" of her debut manuscript. She observes a few slips in her colleague’s carefully constructed façade and when Margo mentions her previous occupation in casual conversation, that is all Patricia needs to dig deeper into Margo's past and uncover her true identity. Not only does her research into “Margo” provide a thrilling angle to her otherwise boring job,...

My Rating:   3.5⭐️ “Picture houses are built for dreams, lies and fantasies. The plaster creatures clinging to the walls and ceilings, the fairground effect of all those lights and mirrors can only be accessory to the wildest illusions, the grandest, most unrealistic seductions.” Children of Paradise  by  Camilla Grudova  follows our narrator Holly (not her real name) through her stint as an usherette in an old and dilapidated single-screen independent movie theatre “The Paradise” described as “a Frankenstein’s monster of a place” with trapdoors leading into the sewers, hidden doors and an eerie, mysterious vibe. Initially, Holly, new to the city, feels isolated from her coworkers and it takes a while for her to be accepted into their fold. The Paradise screens modern money makers as well as classic cinema, serving popcorn and snacks and equipped with a bar (the snacks et al, as Sally the Manager points out, is from where most of their revenue is generated). Eve...

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Twist of a Knife  is the fourth book and a worthy addition to the  Hawthorne and Horowitz Investigate  series featuring former DI Daniel Hawthorne and his biographer/sidekick Anthony Horowitz (the author of the series who writes himself as one of the characters in this series). As the novel begins, Horowitz is glad to discontinue his professional association with Hawthorne upon completing the three-book deal previously agreed upon. Though Hawthorne would like to continue their collaboration, Horowitz has had enough of the tight-lipped, unfriendly Hawthorne. Besides, it is the opening night of his play, “Mindgame”, in London's Vaudeville Theatre, so he has other concerns keeping him occupied. Opening night is well attended, but when renowned theatre critic Harriet Throsby writes a savage review of the play and the performances, with particularly acidic criticism targeting Horowitz’s writing, he and the cast members are disheartened. In a shocking turn o...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Pain becomes an animal, walking at your side. Pain becomes a home you can carry with you.” A fictional take on the 1951 mass poisoning of the small French village of Pont Saint Esprit,  Cursed Bread  by  Sophie Mackintosh  is an atmospheric, complex and hypotonic novel that reeled me in and kept me hooked till the very last page. The end will leave you a tad unsettled but I guess that is the author’s intention. Stunning prose, flawed characters, and uneven structure create a claustrophobic yet gripping reading experience. The story revolves around Elodie, presently widowed wife of a village baker who recounts the events leading up to a mass tragedy that occurred in her village. Elodie, the baker’s wife leads a monotonous life, selling bread, gossiping with the other village women while washing clothes and being ignored by her husband whose passion for baking was markedly more pronounced than his romantic interest in his wife. The arrival of a new coup...

My Rating: 3.4⭐ Varying in themes and tone, combining elements of fantasy and magical realism and speculative fiction,  White Cat, Black Dog: Stories  by  Kelly Link  is a collection of seven short stories that are essentially retellings of popular fairy tales and folklore in contemporary (and futuristic) settings. My favorite story was  Skinder’s Veil  (4.5/5) which revolves around a young man who spends a few weeks filling in for his friend for a housesitting gig that comes with a set of interesting rules and even more interesting visitors. Atmospheric and engaging! Two other stories I enjoyed were  The White Cat’s Divorce  (4/5) in which three sons are sent on weird quests on the instructions of their affluent father who pits them against one another, claiming to declare the son who satisfies the terms and conditions of his quest most satisfactorily as his heir. Creative and entertaining!  The Lady and the Fox (4/5)  revolves around ...

My Rating:  4.5⭐ Cloud Girls  by  Lisa Harding  is heartbreaking, almost unbearably so. Nicoleta “Nico” Zanesti, an innocent child of twelve from Moldova, has no option but to trust her parents, her father in particular when he “marries” her off to a stranger. She believes her father’s promises that she will see the sea, travel and have a wonderful life in London. Little does she know that she is being sold off to a child trafficker. Fifteen-year-old Dubliner, Samantha “Sammy” Harvey, on the other hand, is the child of an alcoholic, emotionally abusive mother and a father who is around but practically ineffectual as far as being an influence on her life is concerned. Refusing to notify the relevant authorities of her situation at home fearing that she would be placed in foster care Sammy chooses life on the streets. She hopes to make some money and start over on her own, but even she is unprepared for the brutality and darkness that ensues. These two girls come from ...

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ After a trip to Ireland to spread her late mother's ashes with her best friend, Kate O'Brien returns home to the news of her ex-husband Harry’s demise. Harry Johnson, an affluent businessman with a successful dry-cleaning chain, was all about pomp and show but strangely enough, there is no public notice of his demise, no funeral announcements and not much detail to be gleaned about what happened to Harry. When multiple people inform her that they have seen “Harry” – she begins to doubt the truth behind the rumors of Harry's death. Is Harry truly dead? If yes, then why all the hush-hush? If not, where is he? Complicating Kate’s life further is her new friend Ettie who seems to know quite a bit about her, despite her being a recent acquaintance and starts showing up wherever Kate seems to be ..Coincidence or not? Last Kate knew Harry was hospitalized after a stroke. Kate’s adult children have always sided with their father after the divorce, blaming their mothe...

My Rating:  4.5⭐️ Set in 1992 Sarajevo,  Black Butterflies  by  Priscilla Morris  is a harrowing (fictional) account of the first year of the Siege as seen from the perspective of fifty- five year old painter and Professor of Art at the Academy of Fine Arts, Zora Kočović, a civilian trapped in the war-torn city that has always been her home. “Half of Sarajevo is Muslim, a quarter Serb, and fewer than one in ten Croat. A third of marriages are mixed, the children simply calling themselves ‘Yugoslav’.” Predominantly secular and home to a multi-ethnic population, April 1992 saw Bosnian Serb Nationalists place Sarajevo under siege, intending to remove Bosnian Muslims – an act of “ethnic cleansing”. Anti-nationalist peace marches were met with sniper attacks and widespread violence. Zora, a Serb whose family has called Sarajevo home for generations, is heartbroken with what is happening around her. As the situation begins to worsen she sends her husband and her elder...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mickey Gibson, a former detective and single mother to two toddlers, works for ProEye, a global investigation company that specializes in financial fraud, locating hidden assets of criminals and those looking to evade taxes. Her role allows her to mostly work from home which is a perfect arrangement for her. A woman claiming to be a colleague (convincingly so) calls her with an assignment and lures her to an old mansion under false pretenses where she discovers the body of a man in a secret room with a cryptic message left on the wall. “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO” Subsequently, Mickey finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation. It is clear that she is being set up and her employer, not too happy with the firm’s name being dragged into the investigation, forces her to take time off from her job. Mickey correctly assumes that her employment is at risk unless she can prove her innocence. She continues to receive phone calls from the mysterious woman who calls herself “...

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “And there is no single word in any other language that means the same thing as the Welsh hiraeth, which I’m told is a refusal to surrender what has already been lost(akin, but not identical to homesickness).” Homesick: A Memoir follows award–winning translator Jennifer Croft (her character is named Amy) as she reflects on her childhood adolescence and early adulthood and how her relationship with her younger sister Zoe (real name Anne Marie) has shaped her life. We follow Amy and Zoe through their childhood in Oklahoma. They share a close bond as is evident from Amy’s memories of their fun and games, their secret language of communication and their affection for one another. Amy, older than Zoe by barely three years, is fiercely protective of her younger sister. Zoe is prone to seizures caused by a benign brain tumor. Zoe’s ill health and suffering affect Amy deeply but she takes it upon herself to keep her sister in good spirits amid the pain. Amy is also fond of pho...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ Frankie Morgan knows she has anger issues – a fact both family and associates don't hesitate to bring up, citing incidents where her outbursts have landed her in trouble.(not that she needs reminding!) To appease her father, who is also her employer in the family construction business, and in an attempt to get a grip on her temper, she voluntarily enrolls herself in an anger management program. As a part of an exercise in the group, she is asked to make a FORGIVENESS LIST – a list of people whom she believes have wronged her. Frankie harbors her share of grudges – from the person who killed her mother in a hit-and-run accident when she was a teenager, to people from her school and college days, and her present life. Oh yes, she is also angry with herself! (Not surprising, she does have anger issues!) The result is an exhaustive list that she diligently compiles in her spiral-bound notebook, which she subsequently misplaces. (Coincidence or not?) Eventually, the noteb...

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐ “It’s other people who captivate me. All the people my age, making their way, fearful or bold, convinced they’ve been through the most intense time in their life during these various lockdowns, and that they’re rediscovering a world that they’d taken for granted. I find them touching, and I envy them as well. Though you might not think it, I’d like to join in the dance again, too, but I’ve forgotten the steps.” After eighteen months of shelter-in-place, lockdowns, curfews, travel restrictions and much more, people are figuring out how to restore a semblance of normalcy to their lives in the post-pandemic era. After eighteen months of shelter-in-place, lockdowns, curfews, travel restrictions and much more, people are figuring out how to restore a semblance of normalcy to their lives in the post-pandemic era. Set in a classic café in the French provinces, Le Tom's, during current times, over the course of a single day,  we are privy to the innermost thoughts of its pat...

  My Rating: 4.5⭐ A Line To Kill  by  Anthony Horowitz , the third book in Anthony Horowitz’s  Hawthorne and Horowitz Investigate Series  takes us to a literary festival being held on the small island of Alderney, where both former DI Daniel Hawthorne and his biographer, writer Anthony Horowitz are invited to speak about the first book in their forthcoming series (the first in three book collaboration between the two characters). Among the other writers featured in the festival are a celebrity cookbook author, a children’s author, a performance poet, a war historian, and a blind author with second sight among others. A few days into the festival, in a shocking turn of events, the host of the festival, an affluent business magnate is found murdered in his own study and Hawthorne and his biographer/sidekick Horowitz find themselves with another case on their hands. This installment gave me strong Agatha Christie vibes – the remote location, several suspects with s...

My Rating : 3.5⭐ “But the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes.” Thirty-six-year-old Clover Brooks works as a Death Doula in New York City, guiding her clients through the last days of their lives – keeping them company while also taking note of their last wishes and much more to make the transition easier for them. Witnessing the death of her kindergarten teacher as a child fueled her interest in the subject of death and her academic pursuit in thanatology. When she was twenty-three, her grandfather, who had raised her passed away while she was traveling, and this further motivated her to her engage in this line of work. Though she is a consummate professional and takes pains to not get emotionally attached to her clients, she does record her experiences in three notebooks documenting what her clients share with her through their interactions in the form of -“Regrets”, “Advice” and...

  My Rating:  3.75⭐ If you think this going to be a cute cozy mystery set in a bookshop ( I’m partial to stories set in libraries and bookshops), just take a look at that cover (which I love, by the way)! “I love serial killers.” Brogan Roach is a bookseller, employed for the last eight years with the Walthamstow branch of chain bookstore Spines, and an avid (read obsessive) true crime enthusiast. Unlike “normies” who have a superficial interest in the subject, Roach (as she is referred to) is a passionate true-crime follower – books, podcasts, documentaries – there is no crime too gruesome nor any criminal too heinous that she flinches from researching in her free time. When Laura Bunting, a fellow bookseller transfers to her branch as a part of a team headed by a new manager, Roach discovers a copy of a true crime book in her bag ( which she unashamedly rifles through in Laura’s absence) she feels she has found a kindred spirit. Laura’s interest in true crime has its roots i...