Book Review: Studies at the School by the Sea (Maggie Adair, #4) by Jenny Colgan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Studies at the School by the Sea
Series: Maggie Adair / School by the Sea
Author: Jenny Colgan
Narrator: Eilidh Beaton
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: March 26, 2024
Print length: 288 pages
Audio length: 7 hours, 19 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased (audiobook); E-book ARC from the publisher/NetGalley
Rating:

The long-awaited and never-before published finale in New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan’s delightful School by the Sea series. After all those lessons, it’s time to graduate…. Beloved literature teacher Maggie Adair loves her life at the prestigious Downey House boarding school on the gloriously sunny, windy English coast. It was there that she found her footing as a teacher and fell in love with her colleague David—the two great anchors of her life. But these days Maggie’s feeling restless, lured by the promise of a different life back in her Scottish hometown. How can you follow your heart when it seems to be taking you in two directions at once? Meanwhile, Maggie’s favorite students are abuzz at the thought of graduation and set to fly the nest to their next adventure. What will life hold for mercurial Fliss, glamorous Alice, and shy, hard-working Simone when they finally finish their studies at the school by the sea? Will Maggie stay to welcome the next class of girls, or will she too graduate to new adventures?

Oh dear. I hate to say it, but after eagerly awaiting this 4th and final book in the School by the Sea series… I sort of wish the author had left things as they were.

The original three School by the Sea books were published between 2008 and 2018, and were more recently reissued over the past few years. I’ve loved this sweet series, focusing on Scottish teacher Maggie’s adventures at a posh girls’ boarding school in Cornwall and her professional and romantic entanglements — which also introduces us to the girls of the school and other staff members, and creates it own special little world.

I was so excited for this 4th book, but sadly, I found the entire thing sort of perfunctory and unsatisfying. In Studies at the School by the Sea, Maggie returns to Downey after a summer back in Scotland with her family, feeling torn between family expectations and the new life she’s chosen for herself. She’s eager to explore her developing relationship with David, a fellow English teacher now working at an underfunded, low-performing local school.

Meanwhile, the main student characters we’ve gotten to know — Simone, Fliss, and Alice — are also back, navigating friendships and rivalries and dealing with serious stress over their upcoming GCSEs. There’s added pressure as Maggie and David create plans for shared school activities, inducing all sorts of culture and social shock among their students.

Somehow, none of the plot lines feel particularly well-developed. The girls’ dynamics get fairly short shrift, we spend no time at all with the Downey headmistress, who had some lovely story arcs in previous books, and Maggie herself seems to have undergone a major personality transplant.

Suddenly, she’s whiny and guilt-ridden, dumping an entire summer’s worth of plans to rush home to Scotland when her ex-fiance is injured — despite there being no actual purpose for her there and having no interest in picking back up with the relationship. Again and again, Maggie makes strange choices, and also seems to have lost her way professionally. A major conflict and almost-breakup occurs between her and David when they escort their students on an Outward Bound program and she feels that he’s focusing too much on the students rather than stealing romantic moments with her. Seriously?

Sigh. I adore Jenny Colgan’s books, and really enjoyed the characters of this series until now. Yes, it’s a nice idea to have a wrap-up book giving everyone a happy ending — but I just never felt that I was reading a particularly engaging story.

My recommendation? Do check out books 1 – 3… and maybe stop there! Or, at the very least, give yourself a pause before reading this one. And if you have time to kill, check out any of the author’s other terrific books. There are plenty to choose from, and so many to love!

PS – The world of British boarding schools — their traditions, grades, exams, etc — remains fairly impenetrable for an uncivilized American like me. However, I did learn two words that I’d never heard before… and I just love how they sound:

Rusticate: Basically, suspension. From Wikipedia: Whereas expulsion from a UK independent school means permanent removal from the school, rustication or suspension usually means removal from the school for a set period, for example, the remainder of the current term.
Invigilate: Supervise candidates during an examination; to watch over the administration of a test to ensure that no cheating occurs.

2Apr2024

Top Ten Tuesday: April Showers

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is April Showers, and the prompt is books with rain on the cover/in the title, that have rainstorms in the story, or that have anything to do with rain.

I gave it a shot — here are my rain-related books for April!

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell
Rainwater by Sandra Brown
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman
Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes
The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse
Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra
In Mercy, Rain by Seanan McGuire
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin**

**Not only does the title kind of fit (hey, it has storms!), but this is also the Game of Thrones book that introduces the song “The Rains of Castamere”!

What rainy books are on your list this week? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

1Apr2024

The Monday Check-In ~ 04/01/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

I’m back! I spent just over a week on a lovely family trip to Roatan Island, Honduras. A group of eleven of us gathered to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Such a treat to spend time with our adult children and their partners! We all stayed together at a beautiful AirBnb, and enjoyed sun, snorkeling, gorgeous views, and of course, great company.

A few photo highlights:

Plus, my personal bucket list item — I got to hold a sloth!!

Blogging etc.

I’ve spent the weekend trying to catch up a bit. I know I missed seeing a lot of great posts from around the blogosphere… but will try my best to get back in the swing of things in the coming week.

What did I read ~~during the last week~~ since my last Monday Check-in post?

I wrote a wrap-up post of the four books I finished while I was away — view it here. The books I read:

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean
Camp by L. C. Rosen
The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain
The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbottson

Finished since returning home:

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian: A crime thriller with a Princess Diana impersonator as its lead character — definitely a unique premise! My review is here.

The Good, The Bad, and The Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Silliness abounds in this final book in the Aunties series. My review is here.

In Mercy, Rain by Seanan McGuire: A short story (30-ish pages, so I wouldn’t even call it a novella) set in the world of the Wayward Children series — specifically, revisiting the world of Down Among the Sticks and Bones (my favorite). Interesting, but not essential.

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L. C. Rosen: After reading Camp, I just had to pick up the one remaining book that I hadn’t yet read by this talented author. I’m so glad I did! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve just been trying to catch up on my usual weekly shows from the last two weeks (Survivor, The Amazing Race, Abbott Elementary). But, I did watch what I thought would be a totally dumb movie to pass the time on the plane, and ended up really liking it!

Now, would I have enjoyed it as much if I wasn’t sitting on an airplane? Who knows?!! Just good, silly fun.

Fresh Catch:

No new books… but I have a few coming later this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

I finished a book late Sunday (one of the many shown above), and haven’t quite decided what to start next. It’ll most likely be one of these…

Now playing via audiobook:

Studies at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan: The 4th and final book in the School by the Sea series. I always love this author’s books (which are especially fun via audio), and I’m excited to see how she ties up all the various characters’ story arcs.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 75%.
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper: I’ve decided to continue this series, but haven’t felt truly absorbed by this one (book #2) just yet. I think I’ll take it slowly and read it in between other things. Progress: 23%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

31Mar2024

Book Review: Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L. C. Rosen

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)
Author: L. C. Rosen
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: October 30, 2018
Length: 385 pages
Genre: Young adult
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Riverdale meets Love, Simon in this modern, fresh, YA debut about an unapologetically queer teen working to uncover a blackmailer threatening him back into the closet.

Jack has a lot of sex–and he’s not ashamed of it. While he’s sometimes ostracized, and gossip constantly rages about his sex life, Jack always believes that “it could be worse.”

But then, the worse unexpectedly strikes: When Jack starts writing a teen sex advice column for an online site, he begins to receive creepy and threatening love letters that attempt to force Jack to curb his sexuality and personality. Now it’s up to Jack and his best friends to uncover the stalker–before their love becomes dangerous.

Ground-breaking and page-turning, Jack of Hearts (and other parts) celebrates the freedom to be oneself, especially in the face of adversity.

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is a book sure to set book-banners’ hair on fire… which is just one indication that this is a book that absolutely should be available to teen readers. Yes, it’s extremely frank about sex — and I’m sure that there are plenty of teen readers who’d absolutely benefit from the novel’s fresh, positive approach.

Jack is a high school boy who loves sex, isn’t interested in a relationship (at least, not for now), believes in consent, communication, and positivity, and isn’t crazy about how much his alleged sexual antics become the fodder for school gossip. He has good friends he can count on, is happy to be out of the closet and enjoys the various boys he hooks up with, and overall, has a pretty good life.

Everything changes when he starts receiving creepy notes in his school locker, which at first seem to be secret admirer messages but quickly turn into creepy, threatening, stalker-y demands. Jack’s confidence and sense of safety are on the line, as the stalker threatens not just him, but his friends and his mother, and it seems as though the only way to protect everyone is to give into the stalker’s demands… and sacrifice his true self along the way.

Meanwhile, Jack’s best friend Jenna convinces him to write a sex advice column for her blog, and he’s soon dispensing sex and life advice that’s personal and informative — but his school principal, among others, wants him to cease and desist, and even insists that Jack’s column and personal appearance are to blame for the stalker’s fixation.

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) contrasts the tension and fear of the stalker plotline with the joy that otherwise defines Jack’s life. As such, it’s highly readable, entertaining, and emotional, and once I started, I didn’t want to stop until I finished.

Jack’s advice columns are explicit, in that they provide clear, detailed accounts of sexual encounters that help Jack answer questions or explain various situations. Jack’s actual sexual encounters are presented less explicitly — we see before and after, but aren’t actually in the room during. For my own reading experience — an adult reading a YA novel — I was perhaps a tad uncomfortable with that much detail about teen sex… but I’m not the target demographic for this book, so that really is irrelevant. What I think really matters is that there are probably many teens who will feel seen and heard after reading this book, and who may gain some important new pieces of information and things to consider — and to me, that makes this book an important one to keep accessible for a teen audience.

I’ll wrap up by sharing the author’s statement on attempts to ban Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts). It’s far more eloquent than anything I could say myself, and absolutely conveys why this book matters.

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31Mar2024

Book Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties
Series: Aunties, #3
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Berkeley
Publication date: March 26, 2024
Length: 378 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.

His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all. Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is the 3rd and final book in author Jesse Q. Sutanto’s comedy series about Meddy Chan and the meddling, hilarious Chinese-Indonesian matriarchs of her huge, interfering family.

Book #3 sees Meddy happily enjoying her honeymoon with her beloved husband Nathan, after the disastrous adventures of the previous two books (including corpses, stolen goods, and potential Mafia hitmen). After a few blissful weeks in Europe, Meddy and Nathan head to Indonesia to celebrate Chinese New Year with the family… and of course, this is when it all hits the fan.

There’s a chaotic storyline about a long-lost lover of Second Aunt’s, now a respectable businessman (and definitely not a crime lord… according to him), whose generous red envelopes go astray — ultimately entangling Meddy, Nathan, and the aunties in a convoluted scheme to get back what was inadvertently lost.

Along the way, the Chan family engages in drugging innocent bystanders, invading (possible) cartel leaders’ homes, minor kidnapping, and other nefarious deeds… but always with the best of intentions. And hey, at least this time there are no bodies hidden in coolers!

The Aunties books are silly, entertaining, and not at all to be taken seriously. The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is a satisfying wrap-up. Sure, it’s all entirely ridiculous and improbable, but readers who go along for the ride will have a great time.

29Mar2024

Book Review: The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Princess of Las Vegas
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Publication date: March 19, 2024
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

A Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in this twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip.

Crissy Dowling has created a world that suits her perfectly. She passes her days by the pool in a private cabana, she splurges on ice cream but never gains an ounce, and each evening she transforms into a Princess, performing her musical cabaret inspired by the life of the late Diana Spencer. Some might find her strange or even delusional, an American speaking with a British accent, hair feathered into a style thirty years old, living and working in a casino that has become a dated trash heap. On top of that, Crissy’s daily diet of Adderall and Valium leaves her more than a little tipsy, her Senator boyfriend has gone back to his wife, and her entire career rests on resembling a dead woman. And yet, fans see her for the gifted chameleon she is, showering her with gifts, letters, and standing ovations night after night. But when Crissy’s sister, Betsy, arrives in town with a new boyfriend and a teenage daughter, and when Richie Morley, the owner of the Buckingham Palace Casino, is savagely murdered, Crissy’s carefully constructed kingdom comes crashing down all around her. A riveting tale of identity, obsession, fintech, and high-tech mobsters, The Princess of Las Vegas is an addictive, wildly original thriller from one of our most extraordinary storytellers.

I’m a huge fan of Chris Bohjalian, but The Princess of Las Vegas — while thoroughly readable — demonstrates to me that I generally prefer his historical novels over his contemporary works… and The Princess of Las Vegas falls into the latter category.

In this crime thriller, main character Chrissy is a Vegas celebrity of sorts. She’s the crème de la crème of impersonators — not a cheap imitation Elvis or Dolly, but a gifted actress whose calling and talent lie in bringing Princess Diana to life night after night through her casino cabaret residency.

She looks like Diana, she’s trained herself to sound like Diana. She even has the bulimia to make sure she maintains her Diana-esque shape. But beyond looks, Chrissy is also truly devoted to Diana’s life and legacy. She does endless research, cares deeply about the princess, and approaches her show not as camp, but as tribute.

Chrissy’s carefully constructed world starts to crumble when her bosses — the casino’s owners — die suspiciously within days of one another. On top of that, her practically identical younger sister Betsy announces that she’s moving to Las Vegas with her boyfriend and her newly adopted teen daughter. Chrissy blames Betsy for their mother’s death and doesn’t trust her in the slightest. She’s appalled that Betsy will be encroaching on her territory, and makes one urgent plea — stop dyeing her hair blonde. Betsy, of course, does not comply.

What follows is a story of organized crime, cryptocurrency, danger, and delusion. Chrissy is slow on the uptake when it comes to realizing just how bad her situation is becoming, and Betsy places entirely too much trust in a man who’s clearly hiding all sorts of shady secrets. Betsy’s daughter Marisa is a bright spot — precocious and too advanced for her age thanks to her years in foster care, but also smart and savvy enough to protect her mother and aunt when push comes to shove.

The story is fast-paced, told in alternating chapters from Chrissy and Betsy’s perspectives. Marisa gets a voice too via brief paragraphs between the main chapters. This approach helps readers see how vastly different the sisters (and their perceptions of their past and present) are.

I had misgivings about The Princess of Las Vegas, given that Vegas, organized crime, and cryptocurrency are all topics that hold zero interest for me. Still, given the author’s writing, the story pulled me in and I just had to see it through.

The plot provides plenty of twists and turns, and while Chrissy and Betsy both make plenty of awful decisions, I couldn’t help caring about them and hoping for a way for them to outplay the assorted bad guys who invade their lives. In fact, if the author hadn’t done such a great job developing the main characters, I probably wouldn’t have cared about the crime story at all — just not my thing. The fact that I ended up absorbed by the story by the end shows how terrific the writing is.

Overall, I’m not sorry to have read The Princess of Las Vegas (especially since I admit to a low-key fascination with all things Diana), but it’s not my favorite of Chris Bohjalian’s books. For readers who enjoy crime thrillers, though, this should be a definite hit!

28Mar2024

Travel reading wrap-up: A batch of mini-reviews — March 2024

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Laundry is done and (almost) put away, suitcases are stored, and I’m settling back into being home after a terrific week away with family.

And of course, I have book reviews to share! The idea of writing individual posts for all of these is way too daunting, so once again, here’ a wrap-up of what I read on my vacation.

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain: At a slim 159 pages, this was a quick but absorbing little novel that was a perfect choice for beachside reading. When a bookseller finds a discarded handbag on the streets of Paris, he feels compelled to find its owner. Her ID is missing, but the odds and ends inside provide clues that he follows, not really understanding why he feels drawn to this mystery woman or why it’s so important to him that he find her. Meanwhile, the bag’s owner has her own set of experiences, and seeing how the two inch closer to discovering once another is fascinating.

Beautiful written and thoughtful, this is a moving and lovely reading experience.

Rating:

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean: My book group’s pick for March is this immersive historical novel, set in Inverness in the 1750s. There’s a mystery to be solved, which introduces us to the dangerous world of Jacobites and spies in post-Culloden Inverness. The central character is a bookseller, (and how could that not be awesome?), and I really enjoyed the intricate plotting, the danger and intrigue, and the cast of characters.

Rating:

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson: I adored this riches-to-rags-to-riches story of a lovely Russian Countess whose family loses everything when they flee the Russian revolution. Anna is a delightful character with a sparkling personality. Her quest to support her now impoverished family by working as a housemaid on a grand estate is the stuff of fairy tales and has a Cinderella-esque flavor, while also being uniquely its own story. The dialogue and writing simply glow. It’s sweet, funny, and utterly charming. And now, I must find more of this author’s books to read!

Rating:

Camp by L. C. Rosen: Loved, loved, loved this adorable, funny, touching YA novel about a boy in love… who decided that this summer at Camp Outland will be the summer the boy of his dream finally falls for him — even if he has to change everything about himself to make it happen. There’s so much more to it than preaching a lesson of never change yourself to get a boyfriend or if you lie about who you are, then how he can he actually love the real you?

I’m not the least bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, since this author is just so consistently great. (Also, any book set at a summer camp immediately has an edge when it comes to winning my nostalgic heart.) Camp includes memorable characters embodying many different facets of a supportive and loving LGBTQIA+ community. Beyond the hijinks and central romance, the characters are given room to talk about themselves and issues of identity and belonging, and I just loved them all so much. Plus, there’s oodles of awesome musical theater… so a big win all the way around!

Rating:

What do you know? I loved every book I read on this trip!

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18Mar2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for spring 2024

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is about our spring 2024 reading plans. There are so many amazing books to choose from — it’s hard to narrow it down to just ten. But I’ll give it a try.

Here are 10 books I’m especially looking forward to this spring:

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Against the Darkness by Kendare Blake
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

Please note: This is my last post for about a week or so, as I’ll be offline with family. I look forward to seeing everyone else’s spring reading plans when I get back!

What books will you be reading this spring? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

18Mar2024

The Monday Check-In ~ 03/18/2024

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

A busy week, with gorgeous weather showing up just in time for the weekend! We had friends over for brunch, and we took our overstuffed selves out for a great walk by the beach. Good company, great views… such a nice day.

Blogging etc.

I’ll be offline for about 10 days starting tomorrow, as we’ll be busy with some family events and visits. I may pop by here and there, but I don’t actually expect to do any blogging, posting, or visiting of other sites for the time being.

What did I read during the last week?

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain: A terrifically entertaining Regency story of women’s empowerment (and yes, romance). My review is here.

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstong: This audiobook was a reread for me, but enough time had passed that I didn’t remember a ton of the details. It was still great the 2nd time around! My review from my first read is here.

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon: We’ve reached the end! My book group has been reading and discussing this book for the past six months, and we’ve finally gotten to the end of our journey. Such a great experience sharing this reread with everyone! We haven’t quite decided what our next big Outlander-related group read will be.

Disappearance of a Scribe (Eye of Isis, #2) by Dana Stabenow: An absorbing mystery set in Cleopatra’s Alexandria. My review is here.

Ballgowns & Butterflies (A Stitch in Time, #1.5) by Kelley Armstrong: After enjoying the audiobook for A Stitch in Time, I couldn’t resist listening to this novella as well, which takes place a few months after the first novel. A sweet holiday-themed treat.

Pop culture & TV:

I made it through the end of Fellow Travelers! All in all, an excellent series. There’s a time jump that I wasn’t expecting that kicks in as of the sixth episode and it took me a beat or two to adjust, but that’s okay. Fabulous acting and storytelling all the way through.

I’m curious: Has anyone read the book this series was adapted from? I’m really curious about how it compares and whether it’s worth reading.

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week — a paperback that I first heard about via The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog:

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean: My book group’s pick for March. Just getting started.

Now playing via audiobook:

I don’t think I’m going to have much audiobook time this coming week, but if I do, I’ll probably squeeze in one (or both) of these novellas.

Ongoing reads:

Now that we’ve wrapped up Dragonfly in Amber, my book group has just one longer-term read in the works right now:

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 68%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

17Mar2024

Book Review: Disappearance of a Scribe (Eye of Isis, #2) by Dana Stabenow

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Disappearance of a Scribe
Series: Eye of Isis, #2
Author: Dana Stabenow
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: January 18, 2022
Length: 272 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The second in the trilogy of Ancient Egyptian crime novels that began with 2018’s Death of an Eye.

Two Alexandrian fishermen come across a horrifying sight – the body of a skeleton floating upright at the bottom of the sea, anchored in place by a cement weight around his feet. In Alexandria’s rough-and-tumble construction trade they call that ‘being fitted with a pair of Rhakotis sandals’ and what’s worse, he’s the second such victim in two years.

Queen Cleopatra is busy rebuilding her city after the Alexandrian War and these murders are not to be allowed to interfere with this primary task, so she charges Tetisheri, her new Eye of Isis, with the task of finding out who these men were, when they were murdered, and, above all, why.

Dana Stabenow’s fascinating Eye of Isis historical mystery series continues with Disappearance of a Scribe… and it’s just as intriguing as the first book!

Main character Tetisheri, whom we met in book #1, is the Queen’s Eye, the secret investigator who reports directly to Cleopatra and acts on her behalf. She’s also a member of Alexandria’s upper class, partnering with her uncle in a lucrative import business, and as such, is well connected throughout the tangled layers of Alexandrian society.

The mystery in Disappearance of a Scribe circles around two bodies found at sea, anchored by what we’d consider “cement shoes”. Who these people are, who killed them, and why, are Tetisheri’s focus, and as she digs into this shocking crime, she uncovers corruption among the city’s influential builders and ends up in danger herself.

The mystery is unraveled piece by piece, and it’s quite exciting to see Tetisheri chase down leads in a time and place where modern forensics and detective techniques are unknown. If you’d told me ahead of time that a major piece of the story centers on construction materials, I probably would have responded with a very rude yawn… but actually, the story is very interesting, and I appreciated seeing how differently the priorities and rules of this society work in contrast to our own.

I would have liked to see a little bit more happening on Tetisheri’s home front — I do enjoy the brief glimpses we get of her personal life — as well as more with Cleopatra herself directly involved. Still, the scenes we do get with Cleopatra are wonderful, and I love how her power and charisma shine through with every sentence she utters.

In some ways, I was able to enjoy Disappearance of a Scribe even more than I did Death of an Eye, since this time around, I was already familiar with many of the names and places in the story, and felt more comfortable with the basic structure of the politics and alliances of Alexandria at that time.

Tetisheri is a terrific character, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her. I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised that I enjoy these books — the author’s Kate Shugak series is an absolute favorite, and I read these Egyptian mysteries secure in the knowledge that as a reader, I’m in very good hands.

Next up: Book #3, Theft of an Idol: