What Is Michaelmas?

 

Updated from the Archives...

Today, 29 September, is the celebration of the Feast Day of St. Michael and All Angels (which Father Acker and I celebrated this morning at our Friday Morning Prayer and Healing Service via Zoom). This is a feast that I was not terribly familiar with when I first became an Anglican, so I was glad to read an informative explanation in the "Saint of the Day" e-mail from AmericanCatholic.org:

Angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are named.

Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.

Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.

Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.

The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman [Church] calendar in 1921. The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's.

Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly.

As I've read much British literature over the years, I have come across the term "Michaelmas" as a British holiday (along with "Candlemas" which occurs on 2 February) and never knew what it celebrated; I only knew it occurred sometime in early autumn. So for my own edification and perhaps for yours as well, I discovered an article about Michaelmas from the Historic-UK website (read the complete entry here: Michaelmas):

Michaelmas, or the Feast of Michael and All Angels, is celebrated on the 29th of September every year. As it falls near the equinox, the day is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days; in England, it is one of the “quarter days”.

There are traditionally four “quarter days” in a year (Lady Day (25th March), Midsummer (24th June), Michaelmas (29th September) and Christmas (25th December)). They are spaced three months apart, on religious festivals, usually close to the solstices or equinoxes. ... It used to be said that harvest had to be completed by Michaelmas, almost like the marking of the end of the productive season and the beginning of the new cycle of farming. It was the time at which new servants were hired or land was exchanged and debts were paid. This is how it came to be for Michaelmas to be the time for electing magistrates and also the beginning of legal and university terms.

St Michael is one of the principal angelic warriors, protector against the dark of the night and the Archangel who fought against Satan and his evil angels. As Michaelmas is the time that the darker nights and colder days begin - the edge into winter - the celebration of Michaelmas is associated with encouraging protection during these dark months. It was believed that negative forces were stronger in darkness and so families would require stronger defences during the later months of the year.

The Scripture readings for Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer 2011 include Revelation 12:7-12 regarding Michael the Archangel and the War in Heaven:

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers [1] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
(English Standard Version)

In the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, the Book of Common Prayer 2011, and in The Divine Hours series edited by Phyllis Tickle, I found several Collects to pray on Michaelmas, and I liked this one the best: from Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime, Midday Prayer for Monday nearest September 28:

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted the ministries of the angels and men in a wonderful order. Mercifully grant now that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Christian season of Michaelmas lasts from 29 September all the way to the beginning of Advent, so we have much time to pray this song during Morning Prayer, immediately following the First Reading of Holy Scripture in the Book of Common Prayer 2011: 

The Angels' Song of the Lamb (Magna et mirabilia):
Great and amazing are your deeds, 
O Lord God the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations.
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your Name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship you,
     for your righteous acts have been revealed. (Revelation 15.3-4)


So here we have the historical and spiritual background of Michaelmas as well as Scripture and prayer with which to celebrate this day and season, remembering that although Angels are both wonderful in their beauty and terrible in their fury, they are created beings, made by the King of kings and the Lord of lords for His purposes and for our help. We humans, formed in the likeness of God, were created but "a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5), made by the Magnificent One, the Lord God of Hosts.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Reviews of My Favorite Mystery Series

I have done a great deal of reading this fall. When pain levels rise, I medicate myself with excellent books, especially compelling mystery series. Since these reviews are all rather detailed and thus longer than usual, I'm only posting four rather than the six to seven reviews I usually post together. Three of the four reviews in this post are from my three of my favorite British historical mystery series of this year: the Daisy Dalrymple series (set in the 1920s) by Carola Dunn, the brilliant Maisie Dobbs series (starting in the Great War and now entering the Second World War) by Jacqueline Winspear, and the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries (set in the Regency era) by C.S. Harris.

I have read at least a dozen books of each series, and they are all very different yet exceedingly compelling. Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series is more of the cozy mystery genre with humor and lightness in the midst of murders while Winspear's Maisie Dobbs mysteries are deeper and more psychological in nature--very thoughtful and methodical and oh-so-intriguing.

Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries are by far the darkest of the three as they explore the underbelly of  Regency London with the crusading Viscount Devlin (Sebastian St. Cyr) solving murders, often in the slums of the city, and his equally noble and crusading Viscountess who writes stories depicting the life-and-death struggles of the poor of London. The Devlins are two sides of the same coin, born to the nobility yet with compassion for the poverty-stricken; it's all political and quite messy.

Also included with these mystery series is Julie Klassen's The Tutor's Daughter, a rather Gothic tale that leans toward the mystery genre (as all great Gothic novels do). I've read a couple of Klassen's books before (she writes in the Christian genre, a subset of books I don't usually enjoy much since the writing often seems substandard to me), and they were enjoyable enough but not particularly noteworthy or compelling. However, The Tutor's Daughter, a British historical novel, was both compelling and much better developed than the previous books I've read by this author. I very much enjoyed it, and Klassen's mysterious tale holds its own in the company of Dunn, Winspear, and Harris.

So let the reviews begin!!



A Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The thirteenth novel in the brilliant Daisy Dalrymple mystery series finds Daisy at her former roommate Lucy's ancestral home, Haverhill, amid her very extended family of Lords and Ladies in preparation for Lucy's wedding to Lord Gerald ("Binkie"). But the murder of Lady Eva, who was a well-known collector of gossip on everyone in the family, causes Daisy to have to call Alec--Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher--up to Haverhill several days before he had planned to arrive. As usual, people flock to Daisy to tell her their innermost secrets--it's those guileless blue eyes, says Alec--which aid Alec and his team in solving not one but multiple murders and attempted murders.

I adore this series; it's light and frothy, filled with all sorts of British slang of the mid-1920s, and Daisy's somewhat loopy yet somehow correct insights both annoys and amazes Alec while Sergeant Tring and DC Piper both believe, as usual, that Daisy can do no wrong. After all, she has assisted in solving many cases for New Scotland Yard both before and after her marriage to Alec. Daisy is a delightfully human protagonist, smart in some ways and rather obtuse in others, yet as an "Honourable," she has access to the nobility (or "nobs," as Sergeant Tring calls them) that Alec often requires as he solves his cases. Overall, this series, and this particular novel in the series, is definitely "Right-O!"


  A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had taken a short break from the world of Maisie Dobbs; I could sense heartache ahead of her throughout the tenth book in the series, and with all that's going on in my life right now, I wanted something light and fluffy. And Maisie, although intriguing, is not light and fluffy.

I requested the e-book from the library, but then waiting until it was nearly due three weeks later before I started it...and with more than a bit of trepidation. And I was right about the heartache. I had thought that the heartache could go one of two ways, and it did go one of these directions, but with deeper repercussions than I had guessed. I won't say more; as River Song reminds us so often in Doctor Who: Spoilers!

This mystery finds Maisie on Gibraltar in 1937. Just across the Spanish border of the British protectorate, civil war brings great suffering as the Fascists attempt to rout the Nationalists. Britain is walking a dangerous tightrope of appeasement in their attempts to avoid another European war like the one twenty years previously, a war in which Maisie had worked as a nurse near the front in France (see Book #1). But appeasing Fascism and Nazism will not work, as those on the ground are seeing daily.

Maisie happens upon a man who had just been murdered on the grounds of the premiere hotel in Gibraltar. And despite taking an extended break from her work as a psychologist and investigator, Maisie jumps right back in, delaying her journey home to Britain from India. The man killed was a well-known Jewish photographer who supported two sisters, and Maisie meets many intriguing people in her quest to discover Sebastian's murderer, including one who is linked to a beloved mentor in Maisie's life; she also finds herself facing an old acquaintance and the possibility of soon seeing others she knows from her work in Britain.

It's a bit of a slow burn, as many of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries are, but I love the depth in which Winspear takes her readers, revealing much of Maisie and of life and reality and learning to face both after major changes have hacked their way through one's existence. Once I got through a couple of chapters, I was hooked again.

Maisie Dobbs may be one of my favorite fictional characters of all time, and for someone who reads close to 100 novels a year, that's saying something. I would love to have all of the series in hardcover lined up on my bookshelves so that I can dip into them at any time, but in the meanwhile, the library's e-book borrowing program works nicely, especially when I want to jump into the next book immediately.

I rarely give novels that are not classics higher than a "4," but this one deserves a "5" which I have only given to the first book in the series. After this book, I have only four more left in the series until Winspear pens another, so I may read some other books and then return to this series to savor my time with Maisie.


The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Christian novel/mystery that isn't too preachy. Miss Smallwood accompanies her tutor father to the home of two former students who used to stay at their academy as the younger brothers require instruction, and Mr. Smallwood needs a change after the death of his wife two years previously.

Emma Smallwood had become friends with the younger Weston brother, Philip, but the older brother, Henry, had antagonized her constantly during his years at the Smallwood Academy. While her father is refreshed by the sea breezes of Cornwall, Emma finds herself in the odd position between servant and guest as she assists her father in teaching the 15-year-old twins, Julian and Rowan.

But their arrival is met with surprise as Lord Weston had forgotten to inform the rest of the family regarding his invitation to Mr. Smallwood and his daughter. Lady Weston, stepmother to the two older sons and mother to the twins plus ward to seventeen-year-old Lizzie Henshaw, is immediately suspicious of Emma's motivations, thinking that she seeks a husband of one of her older sons. Her rudeness dims Emma's usually positive attitude.

In addition, soon after their arrival, mysterious events begin to occur. The north wing of the house is forbidden, but Emma hears strange howls from its empty hallways. Someone enters Emma's room at night to steal her journal, then later returns it with a page torn out. Exquisite pian music wafts from the music room in the middle of the night, but Emma finds no one present when she seeks the mysterious musician. Philip suddenly returns home from Oxford with a garbled explanation, while Henry continues to be aloof; he also seems to be running the house instead of Sir Giles...and he never stops needling Emma just as he did when a boy. The twins are resentful and disrespectful, but Mr. Smallwood starts getting them in hand.

The Cornish coastline has long been the site of many a shipwreck, but the poorer people treat the cargo recovered from shipwrecks as their own, which they can do legally if there are no survivors. When Henry seeks to assist in the rescue of sailors as well as warning ships away from the rock-lined coastal beaches, he finds himself at odds with many villagers, including a sly, read-headed man named Teague who steals from survivors and seems to have an odd relationship with the Weston family.

When the threats become both more personal and dangerous, what will happen? And will Emma's faith, grown cold after the death of her beloved mother, finally find its way back, especially when confronted by the very real chance of death at sea?

This was a much better book than the other series I read by Julie Klassen. The characters were better-developed, and the faith elements were woven naturally into the story rather than being awkwardly forced. Overall, this was a mysterious tale with Gothic elements, a bit of romance, tons of suspense, and some thrilling excitement!!


Why Kings Confess by C.S. Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ninth book of the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries was amazing!

More people from Sebastian's past seem to be making appearances as the most propitious time in his life is about to occur. He finds himself a target as some of the French emigres from the French Revolution remain in London, including the Bourbons who are hoping to take back their throne from that Corsican upstart, Napoleon.

When a young doctor is murdered just before Sebastian happens on the scene, he feels drawn to solving the murder--and several more that occur, all seemingly focused on discouraging a small delegation from France who hopes to gain English support for a return of the royalists to France. The man who would become Louis XVI remains in England as well as the daughter of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XIV, both hoping to be restored to their "rightful" place in Paris.

In the middle of all of this drama is Paul Gibson, a one-legged Irishman and Sebastian's best friend. He does autopsies for the police and brings home the sister of the murdered man. She was badly beaten but left alive when her brother was killed and his heart ripped out. Her life also seems to be in danger from the same ones who killed her brother, plus because she testified against a man for killing his wife and the man died in jail, the man's brother is stalking her and threatening to kill her.

Sebastian finds himself embroiled in the story of the possible escape from the Bastille by the young Dauphin and the possibility of his existence is a question that seems to be at the heart of the murders being committed on the wet streets of London while France is once again undecided between a republican government or the "return of the King."

Sebastian must also face the very real fears regarding what frightened many a young man in this time: the coming birth of a child and the dangers inherent for both mother and offspring during this time when the best specialists in delivering children are men who still believe in "balancing the humours" by bloodletting and basically starving pregnant women to keep them calm. With pregnancy complications, things do not look good...and if the mother dies, her father promises to kill Sebastian.

So yes, suspense fills this novel from the first chapter to the last, and it's a difficult book to put down. It's wonderful to see Sebastian in love again even if he fears the outcome of the pregnancy that he both hopes for and dreads. He's rather a changed man in some ways but not at all in others, but I find him and the other main characters to be fascinating characters with depth and breadth. A very well-written series!

* * * * *

Three of these books, as I mentioned before, are titles from my three favorite mystery series of the year. I read these earlier in the fall and have read additional books in all three series since I read these. In fact, I have only one book left in the Maisie Dobbs series, and only two left in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I'm currently reading The Bloody Tower, the 16th book of the 23 titles in the Daisy Dalrymple series, so I have a few more delightful Daisy mysteries ahead of me. I'm saving the final Maisie Dobbs for the week between Christmas and New Year's, and I'll likely finish the Sebastian St. Cyr series in January.  

Happy Reading!

New Release: Prayer and Praise: A Jane Austen Devotional

I am beyond excited to be a "stop" on the blog tour for the release of Shannon Winslow's Prayer and Praise: A Jane Austen Devotional!!

I first "met" Shannon Winslow at one of my favorite Jane Austen websites, Austen Variations, where Shannon is one of the featured authors of works based on Austen's novels. I fell in love with several of her books, including The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen, The Darcys of Pemberley (which continues the story of Darcy and Elizabeth), and an intriguing novel with a more modern twist on Pride and Prejudice, A Leap of Hope. I have also been a devoted follower of Shannon's lovely blog, Jane Austen Says... 

So given my love of both Jane Austen and of the Anglican (Church of England) mode of faith, you can well imagine my excitement and enthusiasm when Shannon announced that she was writing a devotional based on the prayers of Jane Austen!! Once I finished fangirling all over poor, bemused Shannon, I offered any assistance needed from a devoted Austenite who also was familiar with Anglicanism and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer Austen had used. 

Shannon kindly sent me a few of the early devotional entries, and I was even more excited; the devotions come line by line from Austen's written prayers, point readers to various Scripture passages, and discuss the topic of each devotion with Austen's characters as illustrations. Theologically, this devotional went much deeper than the other Austen devotionals I have seen, and I found myself both inspired and a little convicted by the entries Shannon shared with me.

The plan was for me to read through the whole book and comment on anything that may need a tweak here or there, but my chronic pain condition reared its ugly head, putting me out of commission for a few months during which I could barely keep up with my Brave Writer classes. I felt horrible (and sooooo disappointed!) at not being able to assist more with this wonderful book, but, really, Shannon didn't need my help. She writes truly and deeply regarding our daily walk of faith with wise insight and profound grace, using Austen's prayers and characters to illustrate her points beautifully. Shannon has struck a truly wonderful balance of all the aspects I had hoped for when I first learned about this project.

Shannon tells us:

Out of my sincere respect for Jane Austen and her legacy, I have always felt a certain weight of responsibility to do justice to the words and spirit of her novels as I write my sequels and spin-offs. How much heavier that responsibility becomes when the right handling of God’s words is at stake!
 

So I certainly didn’t take lightly the idea of writing a scripture-based, Austen-inspired devotional. After all, who was I to presume to teach the Bible? It’s true that, through years of study, I had accumulated considerable knowledge about the subject matter – Jane’s Austen’s work as well as scripture – but it’s not like I was either a genuine scholar or a model Christian with all the answers to life’s struggles.

God is gracious, however, and He often chooses to use very ordinary people for His purposes. I trust that’s what I experienced as I wrote this devotional because I never lacked for inspiration.

My goal for this devotional was simple: that in some way readers would be blessed and God glorified. With that, I began, taking one small bite at a time – one small section of one of Austen’s prayers for each segment. Then I waited expectantly to see where inspiration would take me. 

Sometimes a related scripture reference would next come to mind, and then an Austen illustration would follow. Sometimes it happened the other way around. Occasionally it was something else and altogether surprising!

Here’s the opening to a segment entitled Eye on the Sparrow – a line from JA’s prayer and what follows:

…we know that we are alike before Thee, & under thine Eye.

For each of these devotional segments, I look for inspiration in the day’s prayer petition. I ask that God would direct me about which truth to illuminate and what Austen illustration to use. This time, the phrase “under thine eye” immediately jumped out at me. But then I wasn’t sure I heard the rest correctly because what came to mind amounted to drawing a parallel between God and Lady Catherine de Bourgh!

Are you shocked? Believe me, so was I. But it has to do with that line in Pride and Prejudice that says that nothing was beneath this great Lady’s attention. For now, you’ll just have to take my word for the fact that it all makes sense in the end!

In some ways, this style of working isn’t so very different from the way I write a novel. Rather than having a fully developed outline like some writers do, with every scene carefully plotted and all the questions answered ahead of time, I normally start with a general idea and just see where the creative process takes me – a thrilling but risky way to proceed. Although it’s never happened yet, I realize that I could get close to the end only to discover the story doesn’t work at all. Then I’d have to throw out weeks or even months’ worth of work.

But in the case of this devotional, I knew I was in good hands. God is faithful, and when He calls, He also equips. He never left me dangling in midair with no way to finish. My safety net was His Word and the Holy Spirit my guide. When I put in the work, the elements of the devotional fell beautifully into place. With such good material (I used all 6 of Jane Austen’s novels and passages from 31 books of the Bible!), I couldn’t go far wrong. I hope you agree and that you’ll enjoy Prayer & Praise: A Jane Austen Devotional.

Prayer & Praise is available at Amazon in Paperback, Kindle, and KU. The introduction and 2+ segments of the devotional are available there to preview with the “Look Inside” feature.

The back cover blurb reads:

Did you know that Jane Austen wrote prayers in addition to her six classic novels? She was not only a woman of celebrated humor, intellect, and insight; she was a woman of faith.

Prayer & Praise is a treasure-trove of thought-provoking messages inspired by the lines of Austen’s three preserved prayers. Atop a solid foundation of scripture, these 50 devotional segments (each finishing with prayer and praise) enlist familiar characters and situations from Austen novels to illustrate spiritual principles–in creative, often surprising, ways! 

Which one of Austen’s characters developed a god complex? Who was really pulling Henry Crawford’s strings? Where do we see examples of true repentance, a redeemer at work, light overcoming darkness? With a Biblical perspective, Austen’s beloved stories reveal new lessons about life, truth, hope, and faith.

* * * * *

I hope that you all will enjoy reading, pondering, and praying through this devotional half as much as I plan to!! 

Thank you, Shannon, for sharing your latest release with us!! 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Summer Book Reviews in September

I love reading and writing on my front porch, especially when the sun starts dipping behind the tall trees, then beyond the violet-blue mountains cupping our little village in its palm. Over the past few September days, the nights have become quite cool, sinking to the mid-40s, and the days have been pleasant in the high 70s to low 80s. It's perfect porch weather!

So here are more of my summer reads and reviews. I'm remaining ahead of pace for reading eighty books in 2019, currently three books to the good according to Goodreads, I believe.


Letters from Home by Regina Jeffers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story was not at all what I was expecting. As Regina Jeffers has penned many excellent Jane Austen variations and continuations, I was fully expecting this novella to be a "take" on Persuasion. However, this novella chronicles a young widow, Mrs. Faith Lamont, attending a Christmastide house party as her beautiful but selfish cousin's companion.

The new gentleman of the house, who had fought in the same military company as her husband (unbeknownst to her) had fallen in love with the woman's letters which her husband had read aloud to the entire company, although her husband viewed her beautiful earnestness and love for him as a farce to be laughed at.

However, Lord Simon Langford had fallen in love with the letters: their beautiful descriptions of England--of home--had captured his mind and his heart and had also comforted many of the other men, a development that George Lamont's young wife had never intended. Faith was embarrassed beyond belief to discover her husband's betrayal; how could he have read these most private and personal of letters aloud to the entire company?

But Simon, injured in the same battle that took George Lamont's life, is sick and tired by the usual ladies of the Ton. He finds himself delighted to have found a woman of true quality, but Faith is far more reluctant. Can Faith get past her humiliation at her husband's hands? Can Simon marry a poor war widow and remain part of London society?

Regina Jeffers never disappoints. Although this novella was not at all what I had expected when I ordered it, I found it delightful and extremely compelling. It's a quick read; in fact. I believe I read the whole thing easily within 24 hours. And while it is a quick read, it is also a highly satisfying one.


The Contract by Melanie Moreland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When this book was first released, I had checked out a sample of it and had really enjoyed it. In addition, one of my fanfic friends, Jeanne McDonald, had highly recommended it, and I knew I would have to finish reading it at some point.

I think that this story was first a Twilight fanfic before it was edited into an original contemporary romance. Sometime in the last couple of years, I had purchased the e-book but somehow never managed to read it. When I was looking for a somewhat familiar book to read (sometimes I don't want to take the mental energy to "meet" new characters), I rediscovered this book on my tablet.

I quickly re-read the first two chapters I had received as the sample and raced through the rest of the novel, finding it unusually compelling and definitely a page-turner. The character development, the plot, the romance--all of it took me into a world that seemed both completely foreign yet oh-so-familiar. I absolutely LOVED this book and am hoping to purchase the second volume of the series when I get paid for some essay grading.

This book chronicles an incredible transformation of one man who falls for a woman far too good for him. In his stunted state, mostly due to his neglected childhood, he seems unable to love anyone, including himself. But the influence of an unselfish woman, her "aunt" with Alzheimer's, and a new cooperative work environment help this man to become a different person in a fairly realistic way.

I definitely fell in love with these characters--all of them! It's a heart-warming and heart-rending tale, and it's one that I highly recommend.

(NOTE: I save "5" for the classics or for absolutely extraordinary current writing; a "4" is an "excellent" for me while a "5" is "extraordinary.")


A Gift of Ghosts by Sarah Wynde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing premise to this paranormal tale. Akira Malone, a physicist, is hired by General Directions, a vague and somewhat mysterious entity owned by Max Latimer, in a small Florida town called Tassamara. Zane Latimer, the man who hires her and the son of the owner of the company, seems to do so reluctantly, and she isn't really sure why she accepts their offer to move from her academic position in California to this rather ephemeral job across the country.

But she soon discovers the mystery behind General Directions and the reason why she is hired. First of all, the firm is headed by members of the Latimer family, including the handsome Zane to whom she reports weekly. In fact, her hiring itself was a series of tests...but not of her intellect nor of her scientific research. Although she continues her research in the area of sonoluminescence, she quickly finds out that she has been hired for a very different reason--a very personal reason for the Latimer family.

I found this book quite compelling, considering that I started reading it only last night and finished it the next day. It's the first of a series, but I'm not sure I can continue it since I will have to purchase the books through Amazon since they aren't available through our library system. With an extremely limited book budget (that encompasses 99-cent bargains through BookBub and Book Gorilla which is how I obtained this first book), I can't afford to continue reading the series.

If one enjoys stories based in the paranormal and a rather heady romance, then this book--and likely the series--will definitely appeal. The climax of the story was excellently written, and I found the whole book to be a delightful and truly mesmerizing experience.


Murder at Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A delightful first mystery in the Stella and Lyndy mysteries set in 1905. Lyndy, a young viscount, is amused by the young American woman, Stella Kendrick, whose father is the typical "rich ugly American" with no class but somehow became a millionaire by breeding top racehorses in Kentucky. Stella, however, is one of those Americans who possesses excellent intentions but manages to make a muck out of every honest attempt, to her eternal chagrin.

Stella and her father arrive at Morrington Hall where she discovers her father's plan: Mr. Kendrick will give the Earl of Atherly, Viscount Lyndhurst's father, the sire of the most promising thoroughbred in a generation in exchange for Lyndy marrying Stella. Having a daughter with a title seems to be the most expeditious way to get rid of Stella for Mr. Kendrick, and the father has no compassion for the position in which he has thrust his daughter: she is basically treated as part of a horse swap which does not endear her to her father's plan in the least.

Stella rebels immediately, but her argument with her stubborn and quite cruel father is cut short by the murder of the vicar who was to marry them the next day. Lyndy is afraid that his best friend may be the murderer while Stella also wishes to reveal the identity of the killer. Working together to solve the murder, Lyndy and Stella develop an admiration for one another--and perhaps even more. Stella discovers Lyndy's kind heart while Lyndy admires Stella's courage and sense of humor.

I found this first novel in the series quite compelling. Well-written, nicely detailed, with realistic and likable characters plus a wry sense of humor, I think that Clara McKenna's series will become quite successful. I know that I will be awaiting the next book in this series with a great deal of anticipation!! Brava, Ms. McKenna, on a wonderful opening book of the series!!


  Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This tenth book in the amazing Maisie Dobbs series was rather heartwrenching. A woman from India was discovered, shot through the head, along the banks of the Thames. When the police fail to find any clues, they give up the case and move on. But when the murdered woman's brother shows up in London several months later seeking answers, the police at Scotland Yard come to Maisie Dobbs and ask for her assistance.

Maisie finds herself at a crossroads. She loves James Compton, yet the idea of giving up her hard-won independence in order to marry a lord terrifies her. James presses Maisie to make a decision, and she will have to search her heart and soul to see which way she will decide. And she also meets some amazing women as she searches for the killer od beautiful Usha Pramal, a former governess working in London as domestic help.

Maisie's assistant, Billy, also finds himself at a crossroads as he returned too soon from injuries that nearly cost him his life, and he is temporarily (or perhaps permanently) unable to do his job. Sandra, Maisie's other employee, is also seeking other work as well.

Perhaps, as Maisie is taken deeper and deeper into the people and culture of India right in her beloved London and as her father finds love at last, this is time for Maisie to travel, to find herself, and to be able to give James a firm answer, one way or another.

A brilliant and heart-rending book that had me in tears several times, the Maisie Dobbs series continues to deliver a thoughtful and thought-provoking heroine deeply involved in her calling yet with a loneliness within that may prevent her from ever truly loving.

Beautifully written, wisely developed, and carefully plotted, this tenth book (of fifteen books in the series at this time) is another standout in the series...as they all are, somehow.


Finally Mrs. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Novella by Leenie Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet novella in which a widowed Elizabeth once again encounters Fitzwilliam Darcy--a set-up managed by her uncle-by-marriage--and the sparks fly between the two of them immediately. Very little trouble remains in the way of their romance at this point, later in life. It's a story of second chances, of new beginnings, and of a true love that never wanes.

Telling much more would give away too much, but I will say that this is a sweet novella with a very happy ending, indeed!

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Thanks for reading my reviews, and please let me know if you have read any of these books--and what you thought of them--or if you would like to read them. I have included the reviews of one of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries that I have been enjoying so much. I'm on a waitlist for the next Maisie Dobbs which has been my passion this spring and summer! 

Happy reading, everyone!

Second Set of Maisie Dobbs Reviews

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I have fallen absolutely IN LOVE with Jacqueline Winspear's brilliant Maisie Dobbs mystery series. Set in Britain between the World Wars, intrepid Maisie Dobbs, "Investigator and Psychologist" (as her business card reads) takes on various cases that range from the suspicious death of a mentally-disabled man with whom she grew up in Lambeth, a poor section of London where her father was a costermonger to uncovering the truth behind the death of a WWI flying "ace" who may have been doubling as a spy.

While the mysteries are varied and absorbing, it's the psychological slant of this series that beckons me to continue. Each character is developed deeply, foibles and all, and each character struggles with the after-effects of the Great War, including Maisie who had been a nurse on the front lines in France. Watching these characters stumble, learn from their mistakes (or not), and struggle to rise above the "shellshock" (PTSD) of their war experiences, both at home and abroad, is a major theme that is woven through every book in the series.

I just downloaded the tenth book in the series of fifteen (so far) from the library, and I am itching to set aside my work for the day and just dive in, but I am working hard to resist the temptation. As I mentioned in my review of the first three books of the Maisie Dobbs series, the first book provides the necessary backstory, showing us how Maisie rose from the daughter of a London costermonger to a university graduate, a nurse during the War, a student and later the assistant of Dr. Maurice Blanche, and eventually to the owner of her own business.

I hope you will enjoy the reviews of the fourth, fifth, and sixth books of the Maisie Dobbs series!  (Reminder: I save the "5" rating in Goodreads for the classics and for books that truly blow my mind. A "4" indicates a truly excellent book, but not necessarily a classic-in-the-making.) 


Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This fourth novel provides another insightful mystery in the Maisie Dobbs series! Maisie takes on a new client sent to her by Inspector Stratton: a woman whose artist brother died accidentally while preparing to hang the secret piece d' resistance of his much-anticipated art show. The painting--or likely, series of paintings--are nowhere to be found, and Stratton, who has declared the death an accident, sends the grieving yet still-questioning twin sister of the deceased to Maisie.

Maisie isn't certain that the death was a murder, but she quickly works her way into the family of the deceased, finding much pain from the Great War (as Maisie also experienced) in this very bohemian and artistic family. She quickly tracks down clues through her superior training and keen insight while also dealing with her personal life as well as the health of her assistant's family during these hard years of the early '30s when so many are without work and thus without the necessities of life-or even basic medical care. This is not an easy book to read as Billy's family deals with life-and-death issues, and Maisie suffers alongside them, helping as much as she can.

Maisie follows the path to discover much amiss and several possible motives, unearthing some of her own motivations in her private life herself, motivations which cause her to set aside a burgeoning romance as she is unsure of her own desire to marry; her work is just too important to her at this point. And obviously, the men of the thirties, no matter how wonderful they may be, want a wife who will create a home for them rather than spending her days sleuthing into often dangerous territory. Maisie will have to face this issue more than once in her career.

I am addicted to this series and will be ordering the next book in the series from the library as soon as possible!


An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This fifth book in the series is not as quick as read as the previous Maisie Dobbs novel. Rather, it is a deliberate unfolding of truth, heartache, fear, and forgiveness in a small Kentish village. Maisie continues to entice me; she's such a deep character, so real that I think I'd know her if I walked past her on the street (and not only because she'd be dressed for 1931 rather than 2019!). She is a secular mystic, yet a believer in a removed way; I'd love for her to switch those up, but I don't think that's where this author is taking her.

There is much heartache in this book, yet also freedom once death has come and the truth is told. It's a truth that is hinted at and slowly deepened and developed until the reader knows what happened--the overall scope, not the nitty-gritty details--well before the final reveal. And Maisie is not only facing a dangerous pyromaniac, but also the fallout of tragedy in the Beale family, plus her own personal tragedy--one that started in 1918 and is finally resolved in the autumn of 1931.

I am looking forward to Maisie's future now that she is released from Simon. I have hopes for her and Stratton, but we shall see. I also feel a great need to reread the first book now that I actually own it so that I can revisit the tempestuous first book that created the Maisie Dobbs I have come to admire so greatly.


Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just love the Maisie Dobbs series, and this one was no exception. Shorter than many of the others, this novel puts Maisie in the middle of threatened terrorist attacks in London between Christmas and New Year's Eve of 1931. London is enmeshed in the Depression, and many of its brave veterans, often injured and/or shellshocked (what they called those suffering from PTSD after WWI), are often denied pensions by a government that can't afford to give every service person who sacrificed his/her health for King and Country enough to live on. Even the able-bodied are often unemployed.

After a letter threatening a terrorist act if demands for pensions for all who served, especially for all who were injured and/or shellshocked are not provided immediately--a letter that mentions Maisie by name--Maisie finds herself roped into working with Inspector Stratton and a few others with the Special Branch (which I am quite familiar with, given Anne Perry's wonderful Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery series) to discover who the anonymous would-be assassin is before he kills. When no announcement from 10 Downing comes, a second threatening letter is sent to the Prime Minister and others high in the British government and military.

Maisie pulls on all of her own and Maurice's friends in mental hospitals and military R&D to discover who the terrorist is before he strikes. Having to deal with police in-fighting and political grandstanding makes Maisie sympathetic to the terrorist, for she, too, has had to deal with a recent breakdown due to PTSD. Can her sympathy help unearth the terrorist before he attacks the innocent New Year's Eve partygoers where the hardboiled Special Branch and police detectives have thus far failed?

I could not put this book down; I read it over just three days in every spare moment when I wasn't working on my online Shakespeare class or helping with my elderly parents. I am ordering the next book in the series from the library today!! Such a smart, thoughtful series, one with heart as well as intellect, and one that deals with the psychological fallout of the Great War in all levels of society with sensitivity and realism. Brava, Jacqueline Winspear!!

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I will be working on my reviews of the next three books, which I have finished, but probably not until I've managed to savor the tenth book in the Maisie Dobbs series. I hope that you mystery lovers will enjoy these mysteries as much as I have! 

Reading with you,

A Highly-Recommended Historical Mystery Series

Although this spring has been crazy-busy with family and work, I have made time for my most important self-care: reading. And have I ever found an incredible mystery series to share with you!! Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series is simply brilliant. (The "Maisie Dobbs" link sends you to Goodreads' complete list of the books in this series.) Set in the years between the World Wars, Maisie is an unusual young woman with brains and talent who was blessed with a university education despite being the daughter of a London costermonger.

The first book in the series is all background: how Maisie Dobbs becomes Maisie Dobbs, including her childhood, her time in service, her training, her time at university, her service as a nurse during the Great War, the rest of her time at university, her training under Dr. Maurice Blanche, to her finally opening her own investigative service. Currently, there are fifteen books in the series, and I have worked my way through the first nine thus far, and all are brilliant with deep character studies (with many characters becoming regulars as the series continues).

Yet the mysteries themselves are rather slow burns, reminding me greatly of the pacing and development of Dorothy Sayers' Peter Wimsey mysteries. I really want to purchase each one and re-read them several times. The books are available both as print and e-books through the San Diego County Library system and are likely to be available via most library systems as well as through Amazon/Kindle.

So here are my reviews of the first three books of this series (I was going to give you six reviews, but then I discovered how LONG these reviews are!):

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This first book in the Maisie Dobbs series is less about solving mysteries and more about Maisie's life: her childhood, going into service, her education, and the Great War which reverberates for decades afterward. This book provides a compelling and memorable backdrop to the series which is beautifully written, character-driven, and simply amazing. For fans of British "whodunnits," this series is NOT TO BE MISSED!!

Maisie is a remarkable character, one who succeeds brilliantly in her professional life but who stumbles frequently in her private life, especially in romance. One of the major reasons for her loneliness stems from events described in this first book. I found it fascinating to watch Maisie grow from a young girl to a professional woman over the scope of this first novel.

Ms. Winspear causes us to dig deeply and thus care deeply for the characters in this series, and we readers learn to care for Maisie Dobbs most of all, cheering her on in her successes and mourning her many losses. She is a flawed character (in this she also reminds me greatly of Sayers' Peter Wimsey, also scarred by the Great War), yet her balance of intelligence and compassion drives her to pursue each case to its (often slightly bitter) end (again, much like Peter Wimsey). 

Originally I read this book via Kindle Unlimited, but now I have purchased my own copy so that I can go back over the details of Maisie's life as needed. I am now reading well into the series and am very glad that I have a copy of this first book at hand to in order to revisit certain scenes.


Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this second novel in the Maisie Dobbs series, we actually find Maisie embarking upon her first case: a missing heiress. It's now 1930, over a decade since the Great War devastated Europe, including England as well as Maisie's past and, in a way, her future.

While the first book of the series provided us with Maisie's voluminous and fascinating backstory, we get to see Maisie at work now, employing all that she has gleaned during her training by Dr. Maurice Blanche who has become like another father to Maisie. So now that Maurice has retired, Maisie "puts up her shingle" and takes her first case.

In these novels, it's not so much the "whodunnit?" as it is the "why did they do it?" Maisie is not merely an investigator; she is also a trained psychologist, again thanks to Maurice. She has learned his methods of quieting her mind, of putting herself almost literally into others' "shoes" by mimicking their posture, movement, and even their walk. Often Maisie gets a fairly clear idea of the "who," but until she has clearly settled the "whys," she is never satisfied.

In this book, we are also introduced to Billy Beale, a wounded veteran of the Great War (has a "game leg" and damaged lungs from mustard gas) who eventually becomes her assistant just as she was Maurice's. The lovely part for Maisie is that Maurice is nearby, having purchased the Dower House at the Comptons' estate in Kent. Lady Rowan and Lord Julian, for whom Maisie had been a maid starting when she was twelve, continue to support Maisie by insisting that she stay in their London townhouse as they live mostly in Kent at this time. And Maisie's father, a costermonger by trade but a horse expert at heart, remains the head of the Comptons' stables and lives in a cottage near the Dower House.

Thus, Maisie often drives her MG (which she purchased from Lady Rowan) to Kent in order to visit her father, keep Maurice apprised of her cases (and he is happy to point her in a particular direction), and visit with Lady Rowan. From time to time, Maisie also calls upon Lord Julian because of his connections during the war may help with her cases.

I find the way in which Maisie's mind works fascinating. The way in which she and Billy create a "case map" on the back of old wallpaper in order to track all of the various threads is brilliant (as Maurice trained her, of course), and her frequent run-ins with Detective Inspector Richard Stratton, a widower with a young son, is also intriguing.

I'm rather reviewing all nine of the books I've read here--they've all bled together in my mind after I galloped through them without making notes or writing reviews this spring as there simply wasn't time. But I adore Maisie Dobbs, and right now I'm on the waitlist for the tenth of fifteen books in this series.


Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third novel of the Maisie Dobbs series finds Maisie searching for the truth of an airman's death during the Great War, eleven years after the Armistice. Maurice is concerned about Maisie returning to France to discover the precise events of the airman's death, especially as it seems that one of her best friend's brothers (Priscilla lost all three of her brothers in the war) may also be involved. Maurice knows that Maisie still bears scars from her wartime service as a nurse, especially the bombing of the aid station near the Front where she worked alongside her fiance-in-all-but-name, Dr. Simon Lynch. Together, they had treated Billy Beale who becomes Maisie's assistant, Simon miraculously saving Billy's leg when almost any other surgeon would have given up or failed.

Many secrets are revealed during this time in Maisie's life, including how deeply involved Maurice was in the war effort--namely, in espionage. Maisie unearths much about the death of Priscilla's brother and his involvement in the war and with a young French girl. But following this line of inquiry is extremely taxing for Maisie who has buried so much of the horror of the war deep within her psyche.

She continues to avoid visiting Simon, who survived the war but lost his mind in the attack that nearly killed both him and Maisie. Unable to speak, to recognize, to feed or dress himself, Simon remains in a wheelchair, eyes unfixed on anything, lost in time and space. Maisie forces herself to see him, but each visit is heartbreaking for her.

So Maisie methodically uncovers the truth of the airman's death, also unearthing the truth of Priscilla's brother's death, his legacy, and Maisie's own fragility is also revealed. For her, as for many, many others, the Great War may never cease. A brilliant study in PTSD, the psychology of wartime, the scars left by this first of the world wars, the machinations of governments, and the secret loves that burgeoned during global upheaval.

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So I hope I haven't given too awfully much away in my reviews of this series. I have read and reviews the seventh, eighth, and ninth books in this series as well as I await the tenth from the library. While I wait, I am reading the latest Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson, and as I started reading it, I realized that I had somehow missed a couple of books preceding the last few of this series, so I'm going back to re-read the one before the two I missed, then I'll read those two. I've checked out all three e-books from the library. So I can now wait without too much angst for the tenth Maisie mystery with these lovely turn-of-the-century New York mysteries to keep me company.

Reading avidly,

Finally, Some Book Reviews!

I know...it's been a long time since I have posted a set of book reviews; in fact, I think I've only posted one since the beginning of the year. I've been very busy with family and with work, but I have still been reading...but not always reviewing. Reading is my rest, my place to put aside everyday concerns and worries and allow myself to travel to times and places I've never experienced, to meet new people and, often, help solve a mystery or two. And I'm definitely a sucker for a good mystery series!! Here are some of the books I've been reading this winter and spring:

NOTE: I save "5" ratings for classics and such. How can one compare a modern mystery novel with Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice? So a "4" means that it truly was an absolutely enjoyable book and one that I definitely recommend...but it's not on the same level as Austen, Dickens, Shakespeare, or the Brontë sisters. ;)


Piece of Work by Staci Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this book un-put-downable!! I stayed up reading it until 2 AM despite having a very early alarm set for the next morning. The characters are compelling, the humor hits just the right tone, and the romance is beautiful. I loved the backdrop of art at New York's Met, a place I have long desired to see, and I know just enough art history to truly appreciate the research the author had to do in order to make this novel work well. In fact, art is practically a character of its own!!

I only give 5-star ratings to classics and absolutely outstanding new books that I find particularly compelling and that may become classics in the future, so I'd probably give this book a 4.5 if I could. A wonderful read indeed!!

Since the other books in this series may not have the same art history background, I'm not sure I will continue with the series. But we'll see!! Part of the next book is featured at the end of this one, and I may go back and read it to see what I think.... ;)


The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A terrific mystery, the first of the Lady Fan series, which really kept me on my toes! I had my suspicions as to "whodunnit," and I was right, but the certainty didn't come until the reveal at the end. The future Lady Fan is an amazing character: curious, highly intelligent and logical, with a propensity to find humor at the oddest times and in the weirdest places.

The widowed Mrs. Ottavia Draycott starts as a "substitute" companion to the Dowager Marchioness of Polbrook, but when the Marchioness is found strangled in her bed, the Marquis, son to the dowager, who had left for France in the night, was suspected by all. Ottavia supports the family through the tragedy, revealing her keen insight into human nature and her sharp sense of humor.

The Marquis' younger brother, Lord Francis Fanshawe, becomes Ottavia's partner-in-crime-solving as they seek to clear the absent Marquis. A terrific mystery, steeped in the vagaries of human nature and the keen mind and compassionate heart of a new heroine who is to be admired by mystery-loving readers.


The Deathly Portent by Elizabeth Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A wonderful second book in the Lady Fan mystery series, this novel finds the newly-married Lord and Lady Fan stuck in a small village due to an incident with their carriage. They find that the blacksmith who could repair their broken axle was killed the night before. While the villagers accept the news without question, Lady Fan quickly sees signs of a deliberate death: murder.

Then Lord and Lady Fan discover that the villagers all blame one woman, unfortunately named Cassandra, for the death of the blacksmith, believing that "the witch" who had foretold the death must be the one who killed him. The new reverend, who arrived in town only the day before, tries to save Cassie by telling the villagers that there are no witches, but the backward community believes none of it.

Then when another murder occurs, also foretold by Cassie, the young woman's situation looks more and more precarious. Can Lady Fan discover the true murderer before the village burns young Cassie at the stake?

I'll definitely be ordering the next in this series...


Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another insightful mystery (the fourth, in fact) in the Maisie Dobbs series! Maisie takes on a new client sent to her by Inspector Stratton: a woman whose artist brother died accidentally while preparing to hang the secret piece d' resistance of his much-anticipated art show. The painting--or likely, series of paintings, are nowhere to be found, and Stratton, who declared the death an accident, sends the grieving yet questioning twin sister of the deceased to Maisie.

Maisie isn't certain that the death was a murder, but she quickly works her way into the family of the deceased, finding much pain from the Great War (as Maisie also experienced) in this very bohemian and artistic family. She quickly tracks down clues through her superior training and keen insight while also dealing with her personal life as well as the health of her assistant's family during these hard years of the early '30s when so many are without work and thus without the necessities of life-or even basic medical care.

Maisie follows the path to discover much amiss and several possible motives, unearthing some of her own motivations in her private life herself.

I am addicted to this series and will be ordering the next book in the series from the library as soon as possible! In fact, the next book is already here, sitting in my "to read" library stack. I imagine I'll be starting it later this week. ;)


The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A splendid first book in the Tradd Street mystery series, set in modern-day Charleston. Realtor Melanie Middleton goes to the centuries-old Vanderhorst home to speak to the aged owner, Nevin, about selling the home for him. While there, Melanie stifles the fact that she sees the figure of a woman pushing a swing in the garden-a transparent figure. Melanie finds out that Nevin's father and her own grandfather had been best friends in the 1920s but had fought and never seen each other again when Nevin's mother apparently ran off with another man, a known bootlegger.

When Nevin dies just a few days after meeting Melanie, she is astounded that he has left the famed Vanderhorst home to her as he had no other family. Thus Melanie inherits a haunted house that is falling down around her ears, enough money to restore it to its former splendor, and several mysteries, including the disappearance of Nevin's beloved mother. In addition, her alcoholic father returns to her life, and a true crime author researching Nevin's mother's abandonment of her son and husband ends up getting involved as well. It's a terrific mystery with many twists and turns and quirky characters--and I've already ordered the second book in the series from the library. :)


The Girl On Legare Street by Karen White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And here's that second book I mentioned above! It's a terrific continuation of the Tradd Street series. In this second book, Melanie is now confronted with the presence of her mother who abandoned her when Melanie was only seven, and Melanie, now approaching 40, has not seen or heard from her mother since. But when her mother seeks to repurchase the ancestral home of the Prioleau family, one of the centuries-old Charleston families, Melanie is drawn in as both realtor and reluctant daughter to assist. But mysteries seem to abound in this house and its past, powers even stronger than the vanquished spirits at Tradd Street. And Melanie's relationship with Jack becomes even more complicated with the arrival of Rebecca, a reporter and one of Jack's old flames. But is Rebecca working with them or against them? How can Melanie work through her complex feelings about her mother after just doing so with her alcoholic (but now sober) father? Lots of great puzzles and complexities in this tale are tinged with romance and definitely with the paranormal as this mystery unfolds.

I'm nearly halfway through the third book in the series which I just checked out this morning from our library. I love downloading e-books straight from the library onto my Kindle!! It's magic!! :D

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So these are some of the books I've been reading. I've still been making my way through several Austen variations, continuations, etc., but I haven't yet taken the time to review them. I'm definitely on a paranormal mystery bent right now, and I'm loving it!!

Happy reading!