Book Review: A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell, #10) by Deanna Raybourn

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Ghastly Catastrophe
Series: Veronica Speedwell, #10
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: March 3, 2026
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Historical fiction / mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

After a two-year gap, we return to the world of Veronica Speedwell — and this latest installment offers just the mix of danger, snark, and Victorian manners as we’ve come to expect.

I intuited Stoker’s restlessness as clearly as I felt the itch in my own blood, and the cause of it was the same as my own: we wanted a mystery. It had been nearly six months since our last investigation, and while we were certainly not professionals, we had fallen into the habit of murder — the sleuthing and not the committing, I hasten to add.

Veronica and Stoker are drawn into yet another murder mystery thanks to their association with both a Scotland Yard detective and a disgraced woman journalist. In this new adventure, two men have been found dead under suspicious circumstances, and their powerful families are keeping the details hushed up. As Veronica and Stoker learn, one man — Maurice Quincey — was found dead in a carriage, drained of blood and with puncture wounds on his neck, while the other — Jameson Harkness — supposedly accidentally fell from a balcony to his death.

Do those names ring a bell? How about when I mention two other key figures, Seward Johnson and Horace Von Hilsing?

If you suspect an homage to Dracula, you’re correct! As Veronica notes at the outset, a certain Bram Stoker not only seems to have appropriated her lover’s name as his own surname, but has obviously gotten access to Veronica’s private case notes. The nerve!

Veronica and Stoker are scientists, not particularly inclined to believe that vampires are real. But as occult mementos, a secret society, and a pair who seem to have inexplicable powers of control and persuasion come to light as part of the investigation, it’s harder to believe that there may not in fact be something otherworldly at play.

As always, it’s a delight to spend time with Veronica and Stoker, whose banter and flirtation are as entertaining as ever. The mystery itself is oodles of fun, with all sorts of shenanigans that put our heroes in danger, but also give them the opportunity to get the best of any situation, something they absolutely excel at doing.

Fans of author Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey series will enjoy seeing Lady Julia pop up in A Ghastly Catastrophe. I have not read those books myself, but I’ve been wanting to, and now I’m even more determined to pick up the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave, during the current year.

The Veronica Speedwell books can be counted on for their clever mysteries, quippy dialogue, and excellent chemistry between the lead characters. Here’s hoping there are many more adventures yet to come for Veronica and Stoker!

4Mar2026

Book Review: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Town Like Alice
Author: Nevil Shute
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 1950
Length: 262 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harman, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean’s search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.

I first encountered A Town Like Alice at some point in the 1980s. The mini-series was a hit, people were swooning over the love story, and naturally, I had to know more, so I picked up the book. All these years later, I still remembered some of the basics, and was glad to have an excuse to revisit the story when my book group selected it for our February book.

One of author Nevil Shute’s best-known books, A Town Like Alice in some ways is two stories in one — or even three, if you count the framing device. An aging British lawyer, Noel Strahan, becomes the trustee of one of his clients, and in the years soon after the end of World War Two, learns that the main benefactors of his client’s will have both died. The inheritance now goes to the remaining heir, a young woman named Jean Paget, for whom the estate will remain in trust until she inherits fully at age 35.

When Noel tracks down Jean, he finds her working in London as a shorthand typist for a leather goods company. At age 26, she’s eligible to receive a yearly stipend from the trust — enough to allow her to quit her job and enjoy herself, within reason. What Jean most wants to do is to build a well in a small village in Malaya.

As Noel gets to know Jean, he learns the extraordinary story of her wartime experiences. Jean had been living in Malaya at the time, and as she and other women and children were about to be evacuated, they were captured by the Japanese army instead. Lacking a prison camp for women, the Japanese officers in charge sent them onward to a different destination, and then another, resulting in months of endless marching in horrible conditions. Jean witnessed more than half of her fellow prisoners dying along their brutal march. At one of the lowest points, she encountered an Australian prisoner named Joe Harman, whose remarkable courage led to a moment of horror that left Jean scarred and grief-stricken.

Jean narrates her experiences to Noel in what is the book’s most powerful and moving set of chapters, evoking the terror and torment of what she’d lived through, while also making clear why she feels the need to return to Malaya.

From there, the second half of the book takes on a very different focus. In Malaya, Jean learns that Joe did not die, as she’d believed, but survived and eventually returned home to Australia. Jean can’t rest without seeing Joe again, and thus begins a complicated set of travel itineraries during which Jean and Joe keep missing each other.

Eventually reunited, a love story blooms… and Jean also discovers herself drawn to the rather dismal outback town near Joe’s cattle station. It’s a dull, run-down place with little to attract anyone who doesn’t need to be there. But Jean is inspired, and devotes herself to bringing the little town to life, creating opportunities for young women to work and thrive there, and before long, making it a place where people actually want to be.

The book can be seen as portraying two very different stories — a horrific war story, and a hopeful story about building a community based on sheer determination — and yet, it’s an interesting mirror to the structure of Jean’s life, which definitely also has a before and an after. Jean’s life story in some ways seems to end with the end of the war. She’s safe, she’s working a steady if not especially exciting job, and she doesn’t seem to have anything particular ahead of her. And then, suddenly, there’s the after: She returns to Malaya, she travels to Australia, and finds both love and a meaningful future when she never truly expected either one.

Joe and Jean’s love story is quite special. They crossed paths for only a few days during the war, but left an indelible mark on one another. Their reunion years later is sweet and tentative. They believe they’ll want to be together, but they don’t actually have any real-world shared experiences upon which to build a life, apart from those intense few days. And yet, there is something real pulling them together, both attraction and connection, so that they’re able to quickly establish that they do belong in each others’ lives.

I found A Town Like Alice to be a beautiful, inspiring read. Joe and Jean both exhibit extraordinary bravery. Jean’s spirit is full of hope and charm once she has a vision of what their dull little town could be, and I admired her dedication and commitment to making a life with Joe work.

The book isn’t perfect, of course. Published in the 1950s, the attitude toward Australia’s indigenous population can be very off-putting. References about “Abos” and “boongs” abound, and when asked how many people work at a particular station, the answer often is separated out into the number of men (meaning white) and the number of “Abos”. Reading this book today, the racism and derogatory language is disturbing. Still, as a representation of the social climate in that place and time, I’m guessing it’s pretty accurate.

Overall, I’m very happy to have had my book group as motivation to pick up A Town Like Alice again after so many years. I found myself completely absorbed, and really loved reading it.

The only other Nevil Shute book I’ve read is On the Beach, but I’m eager to read more. As of now, I have Pastoral, The Breaking Wave, and The Far Country on my list of possibilities. Recommendations are welcome!

Did you know?

A Town Like Alice has been adapted twice:

Movie, 1956 — available via Prime Video

Mini-series, 1981 — does not appear to be streaming anywhere at the moment, although I did find a few uploads via YouTube that I may check out.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

25Feb2026

Book Review: Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Where the Girls Were
Author: Kate Schatz
Publisher: The Dial Press
Publication date: March 3, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

In this electrifying and heartfelt historical coming-of-age novel, set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully-planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family’s shining star to their embarrassing secret. Sent to a home for unwed mothers, Baker finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with a group of pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she reckons with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the “girls who went away.”

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society’s expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.

Where the Girls Were is a powerful look at the changing world of young women in the late 1960s, centered on high school senior Baker — the bright, ambitious daughter of a suburban family that hides financial woes behind a veneer of pool parties and social engagements and neighborhood clubs. Baker is her parents’ pride and joy — until she ends up pregnant after her first sexual encounters with a hippie named Wiley.

Devastated and in denial, Baker first attempts to access an abortion through an underground provider, but is scared off before she can go through with it. When she finally confesses to her parents, her mother secures her a spot at a home for unwed mothers in San Francisco, where she’ll stay for the remainder of her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Baker’s family concocts a cover story for her: She’ll be spending a semester in Paris, before returning in the spring to start at Stanford.

At the home, Baker is surrounded by other pregnant teens, all with their own stories to tell. The girls are not allowed outside except for supervised walks — for which they put on fake wedding rings, so as not to scandalize the neighbors. The longer Baker stays at the home, the more she comes to understand about her limited choices, and how little control she has over her own body or decisions about her baby.

“We can tell you’re confused. But let me remind you: you got yourself into this situation. We are helping you out of it. Do you realize how lucky you are to be here?”

Where the Girls Were offers a spot-on depiction of the convergence of 1950s morality and 1960s rebellion. Baker’s world is full of political unrest and anti-war protests and the “turn on, tune in, drop out” mentality, but the free love vibe doesn’t last once pregnancy roles around. And how free can these girls truly be without safe access to either birth control or abortion rights? Baker and the other girls at the home have their choices taken away from them by their families, who seem to value appearance and saving face much more than the feelings or well-beings of their daughters.

Because what she realizes as she talks to the other girls is that she’s not as isolated as she’d believed. She’s not the only one to feel this, to have this happen. Other girls are angry and ashamed. Other girls are embarrassed. Other girls are full of rage. Other girls know how she feels, even if they don’t talk much.

I found Where the Girls Were to be a compelling, moving read, with a realistic depiction of the era and with a main character to truly care about. We get to really know Baker and understand her struggles and her inner life. Seeing her navigate life in the home and figure out how to stand up to those who try to manipulate her is quite inspiring.

At the same time, it’s shocking to see how little information even a well-educated girl like Baker has. Yes, she knows the basics about how pregnancies come about, but she has no information about pregnancy itself — how it progresses, what to expect, what labor entails — not to mention a very fundamental lack of knowledge about how to avoid pregnancy other than being a “good girl”.

Two very minor quibbles to note: First, I wish the ending had been a little less ambiguous. I can understand why the author chose to leave the story where it ends, but I would have appreciated a more definite wrap-up. (Not going into details here in order to avoid spoiling anything…) Second (and this is largely my own reading pet peeve, not necessarily a flaw in the book), I tend not to like when books introduce a large group of characters at once. Here, Baker meets all the girls at the home in one big round of introductions, and perhaps as a result, all but a few particular girls seem to blend together. I wished for a bit more to distinguish some of the girls who figured more as background characters.

Those quibbles aside, I enjoyed this book very much, and strongly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, women’s history, and/or fiction set during the 1960s. The story and main character are both terrific and make a big impression.

Reading note: This is actually my 2nd book within a year about a home for unmarried pregnant girls set during roughly the same time period. The other, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, is a horror novel, but the two books share many of the same themes and feature girls in similar circumstances. Really interesting to compare and contrast!

For further reading: In the author’s notes, she references a non-fiction book, The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade by Ann Fessler. Sounds fascinating! I’ve added this to my TBR, and hope to track down a copy. Find out more, here.

29Jan2026

Book Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Code Name Hélène
Author: Ariel Lawhon
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication date: March 31, 2020
Length: 451 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia, featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname THE WHITE MOUSE from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her HÉLÈNE. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she–and the people she loves–become.

After reading The Frozen River last year, I was excited when my book group picked Code Name Hélène as our January read. Ariel Lawhon is a gifted writer; it’s stunning to see how well she captures two vastly different historical periods in the two books of hers that I’ve read so far.

In Code Name Hélène, Lawhon tells the story of real-life heroine Nancy Wake, an Australian woman in her 20s living in Paris as war looms in Europe. Working as an occasional freelance writer, she enjoys her unrestrained life, with good friends, romantic flirtations, wine and good food and constant excitement. Her path veers toward a new, more serious direction when she travels to Vienna and then to Berlin to witness first-hand the dangers of the growing Nazi power.

Once war breaks out, Nancy’s life changes even more. Madly in love with her husband Henri and building a life with him in Marseille, Nancy finds herself alone once he’s called to the front lines. She decides she can’t just sit by and wait while people’s lives are destroyed, and becomes involved first as an ambulance driver, then as a member of the underground working to rescue those in danger from both Nazis and the Vichy collaborators in their midst.

Eventually, Nancy is forced to flee, and after a harrowing escape, ends up in England, where she’s recruited into a special operations unit and prepared for a mission back to France, where she and her teammates will be tasked with arming and organizing the French resistance fighters in advance of D-Day.

Told through alternating timelines, we first meet Nancy in 1944 as she’s about to jump out of a plane and parachute into occupied France. As this story moves forward, interwoven chapters take us back to 1936, when Nancy meets Henri and takes the first step on her journey toward becoming a spy and a fighter.

Nancy’s story is powerful and would feel incredible — as in, hard to believe — were it not for the fact that she really lived the life described in Code Name Hélène. The author’s notes at the end of the book identify her sources and explain places where she had to condense or alter details for artistic purposes. So, while it may feel like too much to accept that one young woman did all the things described in this book, it’s clear that Ariel Lawhon pulled from the historical record to the greatest extent possible.

In terms of the reading experience, Code Name Hélène is phenomenal. It took me a few beats to really warm to the story (more on this in a moment), but within the first quarter or so of the book, I was hooked, and couldn’t put it down. I simply had to know what happened to Nancy, Henri, and all of her various friends and allies introduced throughout this story.

I did struggle with the writing, especially at the beginning, for several reasons. First, the opening scene has a few issues that pulled me out of the story before I could get invested. In one passage, Nancy tells us about her code name on this mission and notes that it’s sexist — which startled me, because I didn’t think “sexist” was a term in use at that time. (According to Wikipedia, the word “sexism” appears to have been coined in 1965.) Maybe that’s too picky of me — but surely a more time-appropriate description could have been used? Beyond that, in the dramatic scene leading up to Nancy’s jump from the airplane, she’s told to jump as they reach the drop zone — and she refuses to do so until she applies a fresh coat of her beloved red lipstick. Okay, perhaps the author was trying to find a memorable way to introduce us to the red lipstick that we see Nancy turning to for courage at key moments throughout the book — but it felt unrealistic to me that a serious operative would act that way in that particular moment.

Fortunately, the book gets better and better — and while, yes, there still were occasional moments that felt anachronistic to me, they bothered me less once I was fully absorbed in the narrative.

I will say, however, that the dual timelines didn’t work particularly well for me, and I think the story would have been stronger overall with a sequential chronology. Going from the big parachuting scene back to Nancy drinking in a Paris bar in 1936 is jolting — and it takes much too long before we learn how and when Nancy was trained for this mission, which left me with a constant question about how she was qualified to do the things we see her doing, and even whether this was her first, tenth, or hundred mission.

Quibbles aside, Code Name Hélène is a truly powerful book that tells the story of a remarkable woman, and I’m very glad to have read it. My quibbles keep me from giving this book a full 5-star rating, but at the same time, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction about strong, dynamic women. Fans of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah may also appreciate Code Name Hélène; there’s some overlap in terms of subject matter and setting, which made reading Code Name Hélène especially poignant and resonant for me.

I’ve now read two books by Ariel Lawhon, and I’m eager for more. As of now, I think my next book by this author will be I Was Anastasia — if you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts!

To learn more about the real Nancy Wake:

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Wake (WARNING: Do not visit this page before finishing Code Name Hélène!)
Nancy Wake’s autobiography was published in 1985: The White Mouse
There’s even a graphic novel about Nancy Wake! Nancy Wake: Fearless Spy of World War II

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

29Dec2025

Book Review: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Stolen Queen
Author: Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton
Publication date: January 7, 2025
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

I seem to say this a lot: Thanks to my book group, I’ve read yet another book that I might not otherwise have picked up… and I’m so glad I did!

In The Stolen Queen, author Fiona Davis presents a dual-timeline story, alternating between events in Egypt in 1937 and in New York in 1978. The connection is Charlotte Cross, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art specializing in Egyptian artifacts. In 1937, as a young student, she worked on an archaeological team in the Valley of the Kings, where she helped discover a previously unknown tomb. But tragedy struck, and she vowed never to return to Egypt.

Now, in 1978, she has a steady career at the Met, and pursues her passion project — an investigation into the woman pharaoh Hathorkare, whom most historians ignore or consider unimportant. Charlotte has uncovered evidence that disputes the generally held beliefs about Hathorkare, and just needs approval to move ahead with publication.

The other main character is Annie, a 19-year-old who works hard at menial jobs to support herself and her immature, selfish mother while dreaming of a future in fashion. When a chance encounter puts her into the orbit of Diana Vreeland, her dreams appear to be within reach — until a disaster at the Met Gala seems to entirely ruin her hopes.

When a priceless Egyptian artifact is stolen and Charlotte and Annie end up in the path of the thief, they join forces to track down the missing item. Charlotte is finally forced to confront her past as the search leads them to Egypt. Together, they not only trace clues to the theft, but uncover deeper secrets that have a huge impact on Charlotte’s life and change everything she thought she knew about her own past.

I picked up this book with some trepidation. I wasn’t entirely sure that I was in the mood for historical fiction, and was afraid (for whatever reason) that the story would be dry. I’m happy to report that my fears were unfounded! Once I started reading, I was hooked.

Both timelines are handled very well. The 1937 storyline gives us a strong foundation for who Charlotte is as a person, and is crucial for understanding the woman we meet in the later timeline. We get a very good sense of the status of women in the field of archaeology, as well as a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs of life on a dig. The descriptions of working in Egypt — the heat, the sights and sounds and smells — bring the period and the setting to vibrant life.

In the 1978 timeline, we initially encounter a very different Charlotte, but as the book progresses, we can make the connection between who she once was and who she is now, as a 60-year-old woman with respected status in her field and a personal life that seems to teeter back and forth between being satisfying or just a holding pattern. The tragedy from Charlotte’s past is never forgotten, but also never spoken of — and as we learn, there are unresolved pieces that even Charlotte doesn’t fully understand.

I did question the inclusion of the Diana Vreeland storyline. I suppose if you’re writing a novel set at the Met, including the Met Gala adds glamour and excitement — but of all the various story threads, this is the one that interested me the least and seemed least successful. This is Annie’s entry into Charlotte’s life, but other than that, much of the Met Gala plot felt unnecessary to me.

My other quibble with the book is Charlotte’s focus on the curse associated with Hathorkare. As a scholar and an archaeologist, Charlotte’s belief in the curse and her suspicion that it was responsible for some of the tragedies in her life just isn’t credible. I couldn’t prevent a bit of eye-rolling whenever the subject of the curse cropped up.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the scenes in Egypt and the investigation that occurs there, as well as the development of the research into Hathorkare’s tomb and her history. Some events feel a bit too convenient or coincidental, but ultimately, I was able to overlook these as the overarching story kept me engaged throughout.

Themes of lost and found family tie the various elements of the plot together, as does the examination of women’s professional opportunities and how those have changed (or not) over the decades.

Through the characters’ discussions, we also gain insights into the ongoing debate about where antiquities belong. Does preservation or the ability to share with a greater public override the claims of the country of origin, even if that country doesn’t have the means to adequately preserve, protect, or display the antiquities? There aren’t any easy answers, but I appreciate the thoughtful way the issues are discussed in this book.

The Stolen Queen is the first book I’ve read by Fiona Davis, although I have a few others on my TBR list. If you have recommendations, please let me know!

Overall, I’m very glad to have read The Stolen Queen. It had me hooked right from the start. I loved the characters, the historical elements, and the several mysteries that are central to the plot. Definitely recommended for fans of historical fiction — and needless to say, recommended for book groups!

20Dec2025

Audiobook Review: Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Next Time Will Be Our Turn
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Narrators: Emily Woo Zeller and Louisa Zhu
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: November 11, 2025
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 11 hours 19 minutes
Genre: Contemporary / historical fiction
Source: Library (audiobook); ARC via NetGalley (ebook)
Rating:

A grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty, often surprising, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story by USA Today bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Izzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed.

Seeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.

If you are only familiar with Jesse Q. Sutanto through her uproariously funny Aunties and Vera Wong series (as I was), you may not be prepared for the emotional, beautiful journey that is Next Time Will Be Our Turn. This lovely book surprised me in all the best ways, and is one of the most moving books I’ve had the pleasure to read this year.

The story is framed through a sixteen-year-old Chinese-Indonesian girl’s experiences at her huge family’s Chinese New Year part in Jakarta. Izzy considers herself an outcast — she doesn’t fit it amongst her boisterous aunts, uncles, and cousins; would rather read in a corner than socialize or draw attention to herself; and knows that if anyone knew the truth about her interest in girls — in a society that’s very much rooted in traditional marriage — she’d be even more of a black sheep than she already is.

The party is shocked into silence when Izzy’s glamorous, successful businesswoman grandmother enters the party on the arm of a statuesque white woman… and proceeds to kiss her in a way that’s clearly non-platonic. Izzy is thrown for a loop, drowning in confusion and her own tumult of emotions. Later, her grandmother Magnolia meets her outside her home for a late-night walk, and proceeds to tell Izzy her own story.

And what a story it is! Magnolia takes us back to her youth when, at age 16, her parents send her to LA to join her older sister Iris at community college. Magnolia knows exactly the future that’s expected of her: Go to America, get a college degree, then return to Indonesia and marry a successful young man who’ll then be a successor to the family business (a medical practice), while Magnolia fulfills her role as a good, respectable, accomplished wife and bears lots of children. But something inside Magnolia itches at the idea of following this path. Her sister Iris certainly isn’t doing what’s expected of her — she’s loud, rebellious, impatient, and seemingly has no interest in making life easy for her little sister. She’d rather be with her American friends and pursue a career, not think about landing a good husband just to please her parents.

Everything changes for Magnolia when, on her very first day on campus, she meets Ellery — whom she describes (to Izzy’s shock) as the love of her life. Ellery is beautiful, tall, American… and warm and funny, and open to life in a way that Magnolia hasn’t seen before. The two becomes immediate friends. Magnolia doesn’t know what to make of her feelings for Ellery — back home, girls often had “girl crushes”, so that’s all this is… right? Ellery herself has a girlfriend, and what she offers Magnolia is friendship, but the intensity between the two makes it clear that there’s much more beneath the surface.

What follows is an incredibly moving story spanning decades, as Magnolia is torn — over and over again — between family expectations, societal demands, and her heart’s deepest wishes. She and Ellery go through periods of painful separation, but their deep connection is never broken. When Magnolia eventually returns to Jakarta and follows the path set out for her, she settles into a life that doesn’t fulfill her, but sees no other real options, until a reconciliation with her sister Iris brings the two closer together than they’d ever been. Iris helps Magnolia realize that she yearns for more than a life as a trophy wife, and helps her start to make her dreams come true.

As Magnolia tells her story to Izzy, she covers the years of longing and absence, the memories of Ellery that never left her, and the beautiful story of her love for Iris. Much isn’t entirely straightforward — because yes, Izzy is at first horrified to hear Magnolia describe some woman she’s never heard of as the love of her grandmother’s life. What about her grandfather? It’s complicated, to say the least.

We get interludes throughout where Izzy responds to Magnolia, but this is truly Magnolia’s story. With a well-developed narrative voice, Magnolia shares the confusion of her teens, the hopes and fears of her early adulthood, and the sometimes bitter realities of what it means to be a woman in Indonesia. As she shares her secrets, her emotions are plain to see. She’s trying to knock Izzy out of her own sense of despair and hopelessness, and it works: By telling her own story, with nothing prettied up or hidden, Magnolia shows Izzy that there are in fact other options and other ways to live a life.

I need to pause here and give a huge shout-out to the audiobook narrators, especially Emily Woo Zeller, who is simply magnificent as the voice of Magnolia. As I mentioned, this is really Magnolia’s story. The narrator accomplishes the tricky feat of making the listener feel like we really are hearing a grandmother tell her story to her granddaughter — but at the same time, her voice shifts enough while narrating Magnolia’s younger years that we also feel that we’re hearing her authentic voice at that age.

The book itself lends itself perfectly to the audiobook experience, because almost the entire narrative is a woman telling her story out loud. And at various places, she interjects with comments to Izzy — so she may be describing a romantic scene with her future husband, and will pause to tell Izzy to stop freaking out, and yes, she’ll spare her the intimate details!

I really don’t think I can say enough good things about Next Time Will Be Our Turn. Having only read this author’s comedic works, I did not expect the depth of this story or the emotional impact. I laughed throughout at Magnolia’s wry, sharp delivery — but believe me, there were so many tears too. This book left me both uplifted and heartbroken, and I loved every moment.

I know the Aunties and Vera Wong books are hugely popular — but I do hope the author continues to also write books in the spirit and feel of Next Time Will Be Our Turn.

It’s a beautiful book. Don’t miss it.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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21Nov2025

Book Review: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Berry Pickers
Author: Amanda Peters
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: April 4, 2023
Length: 295 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

One family’s deepest pain. Another family’s darkest secret.

On a hot day in 1960s Maine, six-year-old Joe watches his little sister Ruthie, sitting on her favourite rock at the edge of the blueberry fields, while their family, Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia, pick fruit. That afternoon, Ruthie vanishes without a trace. As the last person to see her, Joe will be forever haunted by grief, guilt, and the agony of imagining how his life could have been.

In an affluent suburb nearby, Norma is growing up as the only child of unhappy parents. She is smart, precocious, and bursting with questions she isn’t allowed to ask – questions about her missing baby photos; questions about her dark skin; questions about the strange, vivid dreams of campfires and warm embraces that return night after night. Norma senses there are things her parents aren’t telling her, but it will take decades to unravel the secrets they have kept buried since she was a little girl.

The Berry Pickers is an exquisitely moving story of unrelenting hope, unwavering love, and the power of family – even in the face of grief and betrayal.

Once again, I have my book group to thank for leading me to The Berry Pickers, a moving story about family secrets, loss, and a search for truth.

On an ordinary summer day in Maine, four-year-old Ruthie disappears as her family picks berries in the nearby fields. Ruthie’s brother Joe, age six, is the last to see her, sitting on a rock finishing a sandwich while he runs off to chase birds. Both will be forever changed by that day.

Joe is haunted by the guilt he carries, feeling that if only he hadn’t left his sister in that moment, tragedy could have been avoided. Their family — mother and father, older sister and two brothers — search tirelessly for Ruthie, but they’re also obligated to the owner of the berry fields where they work each summer. Eventually, they must continue their work, and at the end of the summer, they head back to their home in Nova Scotia with deep holes in their hearts.

Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, we hear from Norma. As a young girl, raised in a practically silent house by a distant father and an overprotective, mentally fragile mother, Norma has been told that the images that come to her of a different mother and a family around a campfire are just dreams. As she grows up, she accepts this version of reality, although she continues to record these dreams in her journals, but she remains skeptical of some of the answers her parents provide when she asks questions. Why is her skin so much browner than theirs? Because she had an Italian great-grandfather. Why are there no baby pictures of her? Because they lost everything in a fire when she was little.

We understand right away that Norma is Ruthie — this isn’t a spoiler! — but it takes much of the book to unravel how Norma ended up where she is. Meanwhile, through their separate narratives, we see Joe and Norma’s lives unfold, and how deeply both are affected by the pain of Ruthie’s loss and everything that followed.

The Berry Pickers is a beautifully written and deeply affecting book. The tragedy that befalls Joe and Ruthie’s family is terrible, but so is the lack of support and resources available in the immediate aftermath. A Mi’kmaq family who come to Maine each summer for farmwork in the berry fields, they’re dismissed by the local police who provide only cursory help. The farm owner too offers lip-service sympathy before reminding them to get back to work. Again and again, we see how the local community and law enforcement see them as other and not worth much effort, and even to blame for the tragedies that come their way, including a terrible incident years later. Joe ends up spending much of his adult life alone, carrying heavy burdens of rage and guilt, and while we may question his decisions, we can understand why he feels he is doing what is necessary.

Norma’s life is easier, on the surface. She grows up in a financially secure home, gets a good education, pursues an academic career — but she’s always adrift, always carrying the weight of her mother’s fears and manipulations, and the overwhelming sense of sadness that pervades their home. Norma’s Aunt June provides love, support, and kindness, but is also complicit in the big lies at the heart of Norma’s family.

We spend much of The Berry Pickers waiting to see how Joe and Norma’s stories will eventually intersect. It’s worth the wait. The ways in which their lives parallel one another, include a significant near miss, make this story especially heart-wrenching. Joe is a flawed man with deep regrets, but we can’t help love him anyway and wish that he could forgive himself much sooner. Norma’s life is driven by the secrets and lies that have surrounded her since her earliest days. The burden she bears leads her to a lonely life, and we ache for her as she suffer her own losses.

The Berry Pickers presents each character’s story with grace and empathy. While this is a story with deep wounds at its heart, the storytelling doesn’t feel oppressively heavy. By using Joe and Norma’s voices, we’re taken along with them through their lives, experiencing their ups and downs, and coming to know each of them in a meaningful way. There are funny and joyful moments too, and the payoff for this journey provides a beautiful ending.

The Berry Pickers is a powerful book that shouldn’t be missed. Highly recommended!

6Nov2025

Book Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Author: Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: January 14, 2025
Length: 482 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Purchased
Rating:

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

Grady Hendrix writes marvelously inventive horror novels, with psychological and physical terrors around every corner. Here in Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the greatest horror is not in the supernatural elements, but in the treatment of the pregnant teens sent in disgrace to the Wellwood Home.

“You are here because you acted like a barnyard animal,” Miss Wellwood said. “You took the glory of your womanhood and threw it in the mud.”

The girls at the home are young, and at the complete mercy of their families, the staff of the home, and the doctors. They are never allowed to forget just how awful they are, how little they matter, and how little control they have over anything that happens to their bodies. They are all utterly ignorant as well — they know what they did to get pregnant, but have no idea what childbirth actually entails.

“You all don’t need to worry yourselves about what’s going to happen when you go to the hospital,” he said. “Because it’s none of your business. You just do what the doctors say and you’ll be fine.”

Fern is distraught when her father angrily bustles her off the home and leaves her there without even a good-bye. “Fern” isn’t even her name — all girls are given new names upon arrival, to preserve anonymity and to make the entire experience as separate from their real lives as possible. All Fern wants is to go home, to forget this ever happened, and to get back to her school, her friends, and the senior play.

But the harsh realities of pregnancy are impossible to ignore, especially once Fern witnesses another girl go into early labor in the bathroom and has to face the awful truth of what lies ahead for her. When the biweekly book mobile shows up, Fern asks the librarian for a book on what really happens during childbirth — which would be considered contraband at the home, where pleasant middle grade books seem to be the only allowed reading material.

The book the librarian passes along is anything but benign children’s fiction. Instead, she hands Fern is a hidden copy of a book titled How to Be a Groovy Witch (how awesome is that?!?!). The book’s contents are mostly incomprehensible, but Fern, Rose, Zinnia, and Holly are able to figure out a spell to cure Zinnia’s unrelenting morning sickness… by transferring it to someone else, with shockingly effective results.

The girls are drawn in by the lure of witchcraft and the power it promises, not seeing until it’s too late that nothing is given for free.

In this world there is one truth: everything has a price, and every price must be paid. Perhaps you will not pay it today, maybe you can put it off until tomorrow, but one day there will be a knock at your door in the middle of the night, a voice in the darkness beside your bed, a letter laid upon the table when you believe yourself to be alone, and it will contain a bill that must be paid, and you will pay it in blood.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is an absolutely compelling read. It’s a little on the longer side, but it flies by. The girls’ terror and helplessness feel palpable, and the book is a stark reminder of how far we’ve come in so many ways… and how awful it would be to move backward.

There are several gross-out scenes resulting from the girls’ spells, as well as scenes of supernatural power and strange, other-worldly phenomena. Some parts can be truly scary. And yet, the most horrifying scene is a hospital delivery. Nothing goes wrong medically, but it’s a detailed, horrible depiction of what labor and delivery in the 1970s entailed for so many women. That, to me, is the truly disturbing part of this book. Well, that, plus the girls’ utter lack of agency, the casual cruelty of the adults controlling them, and the soul-crushing sense of shame forced on them from every direction.

They said she could go back to her old life. They said it wouldn’t hurt. They said she’d never have to think about it again. They lied.

I loved the girls’ character development, and how each of them struggles to find strength to face their own particular hell. The girls’ power truly lies in their connection and support of one another, even more so than in the gifts they discover through the book and the librarian’s coven. Despite their individual suffering, they still find joy and friendship, as they band together to take back control and figure out how to survive.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a moving, powerful, absorbing read. The depiction of the historical time and place feels spot-on. 1970s slang and attitudes provide some needed moments of fun and entertainment, despite the overall seriousness of the subject matter. (It’s shocking to see the pregnant girls constantly smoking cigarettes… but hey, it’s 1970!)

Grady Hendrix writes terrific horror, always with unique, clever twists and set-ups. I believe I have one more of his books yet to read (and I’m looking forward to it!); meanwhile, I’m thrilled that I finally got my hands on Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Highly recommended.

For more by this author:
Horrorstör
My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction
We Sold Our Souls
The Final Girl Support Group
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

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Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

13Sep2025

Book Review: My Theodosia by Anya Seton

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: My Theodosia
Author: Anya Seton
Publication date: 1941
Length: 418 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Anya Seton’s bestselling first novel, originally published in 1941, captures all the drama of the short life of Theodosia Burr (1783-1813).

Theodosia’s father is Aaron Burr–Thomas Jefferson’s vice president, most famous for his great duel with Alexander Hamilton. With charm and tenderness, he holds sway over young Theodosia’s heart, but his arrogance forces her to choose between the man he insists she marry and her love for a young soldier who will turn out to play a decisive role in her father’s fate. Persuaded by Aaron that she will soon be crowned princess of the Kingdom of Mexico as a result of his treasonable plans, she is received like royalty on Blennerhassett Island, only to end up trying to exonerate him as he awaits trial in a Richmond jail, repudiated by his fickle son-in-law and friends.

Theodosia remains a haunting figure in American history, still lovely, still imperious, never vanquished.

To be honest, the name Theodosia would have meant nothing to me before the Hamilton era… and of course, once my book group selected this historical novel about Aaron Burr’s daughter, this was all I could think of:

My Theodosia opens with Theodosia Burr’s 17th birthday. She’s the pretty, vivacious daughter of Aaron Burr, a man with unlimited ambitions and the highest of standards for his beloved daughter. He oversees every aspect of her upbringing, demanding excellence in her studies, perfect beauty, and social graces to help move all his own machinations forward.

She was flesh of his flesh, an infinitely dear projection of himself.

As Theo will soon learn, while he loves her immensely, he’s also keenly focused on making sure that her future marriage will be advantageous for him, including providing a source of wealth to keep his expensive lifestyle afloat and help propel him into the Presidency.

Theo, meanwhile, adores and idolizes her father, while also basking in the attention and admiration that surrounds her. While she may not want the marriage Aaron decides upon, she obeys her father’s wishes in this as in all things. By age 18, Theo is married to Joseph Alston, a wealthy plantation owner from South Carolina who has the funds and the political clout to further Aaron’s political ambitions.

My Theodosia follows Theo through the ten years between her marriage and her untimely death, with Aaron’s life and scandals as the backdrop to all of Theo’s own feelings, desires, and plans. No matter what else occurs in her life, her father always is her priority, to the detriment of her marriage and her security. Key events, such as the Hamilton duel, happen mainly off the page, and we experience these through Theo’s eyes, as she worries for Aaron, rushes to his defense whenever she can, and makes his well-being and reputation her primary objectives.

Reading this book over 80 years after its original publication, I found it difficult to enjoy. Theo and Aaron’s relationship is problematic and dysfunctional in so many ways. Theo’s overriding dedication to Aaron feels unhealthy, and his focus and molding of her is disturbing.

He did not quite admit it to himself, but he would have opposed any match with a man whom she passionately desired. He had no intention of transferring her devotion from himself to another. Her worship was the sweetest thing in life.

Most difficult for me as a modern reader is the casual racism that permeates the book. We might expect a slave-owner such as Joseph (and the rest of his family) to hold abhorrent views, but even Aaron and Theo, supposedly more enlightened New Yorkers, use the n-word freely and invoke all sorts of degrading and disparaging language in reference to the slaves and servants of color in their lives. I suppose some might argue that the author was attempting to evoke the prevailing attitudes of the time she was portraying, and perhaps that was more acceptable at the time of publication, but reading the book today, it’s awful — no two ways about it.

*Portrait by John Vanderlyn, c. 1815–1820*

While the storytelling style is immersive, I often found myself wondering about sources and historical accuracy. There’s a brief author’s note, but it doesn’t shed much light on how much of the story is substantiated through historical documentation and how much is embroidered or speculative. (For example, the idea that the passionate yet unfulfilled love of Theodosia’s life was Meriweather Lewis is, as far as I can tell, an invention of the author’s and is not supported by historical evidence.)

My Theodosia was Anya Seton’s first novel. I understand that many of her subsequent books are quite beloved. However, based on my experiences with My Theodosia, I don’t feel particularly compelled to explore her works any further.

As for My Theodosia itself, I can’t say I particularly recommend it. On the one hand, it’s an informative look at the life of a woman I knew nothing about, and through her, a look into the character and life of Aaron Burr beyond his Hamilton-related infamy. On the other hand, the racism, sexism, and uncomfortable father-daughter relationship make this an unpleasant reading experience overall. If not for my upcoming book group discussion, I most likely would have put the book aside and not finished it.

I’d be curious to hear from anyone who’s read other books by Anya Seton. Are there any you recommend? And if you’ve read My Theodosia, I’d love to hear your perspective as well.

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16Aug2025

Book Review: The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The King’s Messenger
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication date: March 4, 2025
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

For fans of Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory, courtly rivalry and intrigue…

1613: King James – sixth of Scotland, first of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots – has unified both countries under one crown. But the death of his eldest son, Henry, has plunged the nation into mourning, as the rumours rise the prince was poisoned.

Andrew Logan’s heard the rumours, but he’s paid them little heed. As one of the King’s Messengers he has enough secrets to guard, including his own. In these perilous times, when the merest suggestion of witchcraft can see someone tortured and hanged, men like Andrew must hide well the fact they were born with the Sight.

He’ll need all his gifts, though, when the king sends Andrew north to find and arrest Sir David Murray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and bring him a prisoner to London to stand trial before the dreaded Star Chamber.

A story of treachery, betrayal and love…

And the blurb from a different edition:

New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one’s duty in this rich story of an ordinary man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

In 1613, King James sends his messenger Andrew Logan to Scotland to arrest his late son’s close advisor Sir David Moray. Accompanied by his aloof neighbor Phoebe Westaway, Andrew slowly untangles the real point of his mission—to frame Sir David for Prince Henry’s death. But Andrew is unwilling to bring an innocent man into a treacherous betrayal.

Andrew’s feisty and lovely neighbor Phoebe Westaway has always been stand-offish to Andrew, having heard malicious gossip against him. But as they journey to Scotland and back, Phoebe has the opportunity to see Andrew for the honorable and loyal man that he is, and her change of heart may open new possibilities for them once their mission is complete.

Susanna Kearsley is a must-read author for me. Her books are beautiful depictions of well-developed characters embroiled in significant historical periods, and I’ve loved them all so far. Her 2025 release, The King’s Messenger, is another excellent tale that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The King’s Messenger is set in England in1613, during the reign of King James I. As the story opens, his eldest son and heir, Prince Henry, has recently died, a tragedy for the kingdom as well as for those who loved him. Rumor has it that his death wasn’t natural — was he poisoned?

Andrew Logan is a King’s Messenger, a man whose job it is to carry out tasks on behalf of the king, delivering and receiving messages, but also, when necessary, making arrests and taking people into custody. Following Prince Henry’s death, Andrew is summoned before the king and charged with a new assignment: He’s to journey to Scotland and arrest Sir David Moray, Henry’s closest companion and beloved mentor and friend, and deliver him to London for trial. Sir David is being charged with the prince’s murder — but he’s not without friends at court, and they have a very different viewpoint of what actually happened.

Phoebe Westaway is Andrew’s neighbor, and the two have a quarrelsome, contentious relationship, fueled by Phoebe’s dislike of Andrew over what may have been a misunderstanding years earlier. Phoebe’s father is a scrivener (scribe), and he’s ordered to accompany Andrew on his mission and record everything that Sir David says during their journey back to London. But Mr. Westaway is ailing, and Phoebe worries that the arduous journey will endanger his health, so she insists on going with him. Andrew disapproves, but his Second Sight shows him that she does in fact go with them, and he knows that what he Sees can’t be changed — and so these three end up traveling together through Scotland and back toward London, escorting a prisoner who seems more and more to have been unfairly framed for a crime he simply could not have committed.

The plot of The King’s Messenger nicely balances the intrigue surrounding Henry’s death, the journey through Scotland and England, as the travelers face dangers from their surroundings, pursuers, and suspicious strangers, and the interpersonal dynamics among the group. Andrew starts by viewing David as his prisoner, but over time, he starts to understand who David is as a man. We see Andrew adjust his attitude and treatment of David due to the growing respect he has for him, as well as the growing suspicion that he’s being used as a pawn in a plot he’s only starting to become aware of.

Phoebe and Andrew also see a shift in their relationship, going from mistrust and tension to tentative appreciation, and finally, a more emotional bond. Phoebe has to overcome old prejudices to appreciate who Andrew truly is, and Andrew can only reveal so much to Phoebe while keeping his oaths and the secrecy of his position.

The story is told through chapters from several different characters’ viewpoints, including Andrew, David, Phoebe, and even Queen Anna, wife of King James and mother of Henry. Each voice is distinct, and lends an important insight into this complicated web of partial truths and competing motives.

I was a bit nervous at the start of the book, as this is not a historical period with which I had much familiarity ahead of time. I needn’t have worried: Without any sort of heavy-handed exposition, the author weaves enough context and information into the narrative to ease the reader into the story. It never felt hard to follow, and in fact, I ended up really enjoying learning more about this time and its royal dramas.

Overall, I loved The King’s Messenger. The journey is exciting, and I was entirely caught up in the characters’ relationships, risks, and plans. The King’s Messenger has a satisfying conclusion, remaining true to known history while also feeling very appropriate for what we come to know of the characters.

The author provides quite a bit of information in her closing notes about her research and sources, including distinguishing between what is known of the historical figures and events. Many of the main characters, including Andrew and Phoebe, are fictional creations, but they’re so well developed and situated that they feel totally natural in their roles interacting with historical figures such as David Moray and the King and Queen.

Susanna Kearsley’s books never let me down, and The King’s Messenger is no exception. The Moray family figures in several of her other books, set in slightly later time periods, but it’s not necessary to have read them in order to appreciate The King’s Messenger.

Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction. Don’t miss it!

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Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.