Review: Athenian Blues

Athenian Blues

Pol Koutsakis

Sometimes the stars align and you find a real gem of a book. That's how I felt about Athenian Blues. In this tale set in Greece, we meet Stratos Gazis, who likes to refer to himself as a caretaker. He can't stand to be called a hitman. In his mind, he is providing justice for both his victims and his clients. So, when a famous actress, Aliki Stylianou tries to hire him to kill her abusive husband, he wants to know more before taking the case. After all, her husband is one of Athens' most respected lawyers.

Things take an unexpected turn when an attempt is made on Aliki's life and she goes into hiding. Her husband wants to hire Gazis to find her. Gazis isn't sure which party to believe. Is the husband abusive and does he want to kill his wife, or is she making it all up? As the story develops and Gazis, with the help of his friends, tries to piece together the complex ties between husband and wife, he finds more questions than answers. As more secrets emerge, Gazis is more determined than ever to find Aliki. If only he'd known he would be putting himself and his closest friends in danger.

Pol Koutsakis is a fascinating storyteller able to transport readers right into Stratos Gazis' world.

This review was originally written for and published by City Book Review.

Review: Octavio's Journey

Octavio's Journey

Miguel Bonnefoy

Octavio is an illiterate man who is ashamed of the fact that he cannot read. When he meets a wealthy woman named Venezuela at a pharmacy, she agrees to teach him how to read. Octavio is overjoyed with his new skill, but unbeknownst to Venezuela, Octavio has a secret life that will affect their friendship. Once he has to leave his village, he roams the forests and jungles transforming himself and his life before deciding it is safe to return home.

This book didn't grab me in the way I had expected that it would. While it isn't very long, it felt like it went on too long. I liked the beginning and the end, but the middle of the story seemed to ramble along without adding a lot of substance. The writing was, however, at times quite magical. It was descriptive in a way that felt tropical and emotional, yet I felt it lacked something to keep me connected and hooked to the middle of the tale. The transformation of the main character that took place at the end of the story made it worth reading, but it wasn't the unforgettable, bewitching tale I was hoping it would be.

This review was originally written for and published by City Book Review.

Review: An Anonymous Girl

An Anonymous Girl

Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Jessica Farris is trying to make ends meet in New York City as a freelance makeup artist when she stumbles on a research study that could provide a little extra income. The only thing is, she needs to reveal intimate details about herself and answer questions about her own moral code of behavior. When the professor undertaking the study wants more from Jessica, she finds there may be no easy way to pull away from a questionable and dangerous situation.

Just like their previous book, The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl is full of all the tension and twists and turns the reader expects. These authors delve deep into their characters revealing that what makes them tick may not always be their best attributes. This is a definite read for fans of suspense and thrillers. Once I got started, I found this book so hard to put down. I suspect you'll feel the same as well.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Vintage 1954

Vintage 1954

Antoine Laurain

Hubert Larnaudie lives in a beautiful Paris apartment that his family has owned for generations. One evening he invites an art restorer, Magalie, a bartender Julien and an American visitor Bob, all residing in the same building, to his apartment for a glass of wine. By morning they have all been transported back to the year 1954.

Finding themselves in vintage Paris, the four discover former inhabitants of the city, see monuments in a new light and encounter personal memories of people and places that have meaning in their lives today. They will have to use their wits and the help of another man who drank from the same 1954 vintage if they want to get back to their own time again.

Vintage 1954 is a tale that will take you on a heartwarming journey into the past with four people from different backgrounds who are all able to find meaning in their lives as a result of this journey back in time.

I always feel Laurain has the power to take everyday incidents and turn them into something extraordinary. Anyone who has read one of his books knows that he is a delightful storyteller with a gift for creating charming and captivating tales. After reading this one, I can't help but wonder what he will come up with next. Whatever it is, I can't wait to read it.

Thanks to Gallic Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Moniek Bloks

Princess Wilhelmina Carolina of Orange-Nassau was born in 1743 to William IV Prince of Orange and Anne of Hanover. When her father was made Stadtholder to the Dutch Republic, she was included in the line of succession, in the event that there were no male heirs. But as a little brother was later born, he eventually took the position of his father although Carolina did act as regent for him until he came of age.

I have to admit, probably like a lot of readers I didn't know anything about Carolina of Orange-Nassau before reading this book. And I agree with the author that she has been largely forgotten by history, which is a pity because she seemed to play such an essential role in her brother's early life and when acting as regent on his behalf. But what struck me most was the fact that by the time she was 43 years old she'd had sixteen pregnancies that resulted in fifteen births of which only seven children survived to adulthood. Of course, this wasn't unusual at the time, and the author points out the numerous pregnancies and deaths of Carolina's mother and others. However, it is so difficult to imagine the hardships these women and especially Carolina endured. Despite the numerous pregnancies and changing circumstances, Carolina was able to run a household, take an interest in her husband's affairs and find time for promoting the music she loved. At one point while organizing a concert, she took an interest in Mozart and his sister. Both were ill at the time of their visit, and due to her care and attention, they were able to recover in her home, perhaps shaping the history of music in the course.

This account of her life is fascinating on its own but also noteworthy due to the fact that her descendants are scattered across the Royal Houses of Europe. I was also happy to learn that the author runs a blog devoted to the history of royal women.

Thanks to Chronos Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Killer Librarian

Killer Librarian

Mary Lou Kirwin

Minnesota librarian Karen Nash has always wanted to go to England, and with the success of her boyfriends plumbing invention she's finally going on the trip of a lifetime to London. The only problem is: boyfriend Dave dumps Karen hours before they are scheduled to leave. Distraught, she decides to go alone. But Dave has also decided to go, only not alone.

Once in London, Karen checks into a bed and breakfast. Its charming, handsome owner is only to pleased to show Karen the sights, especially since she told him she is a mystery writer, which she most definitely is not. But, when another guest at the bed and breakfast is found dead, Karen thinks it might be more than an accident. Complicating matters Karen might have asked a hit man to “take care” of Dave after one too many drinks at a local pub.

Killer Librarian is a lighthearted cozy mystery with a bit of drama, mystery and a pinch of romance. I would say this is a tale best spent with a nice cup of tea and a few biscuits.

Review: Rules for Visiting

Rules for Visiting

Jessica Francis Kane

May Attaway is a forty-year-old woman with a job as a landscape gardener on a university campus. She lives at home where she looks after her aging father. When the university acknowledges her work over the years by giving her a mini-sabbatical she decides to visit several of her friends. Friends she hasn't seen in a while. And while she attempts to navigate the modern world as a guest in other people's homes May is also trying to find meaning in her own life as well as identify who she is and how she appears to those around her.

Initially, I wasn't sure about this book, which seemed more than a little melancholy to me, but as I kept going, I saw that it was filled with little pearls of wisdom and I realized that May wasn't as depressed as I had thought. She was more a sensitive soul with a love of plants, trees and animals trying to find her way in a world full of people, people she didn't quite connect with as quickly as others around her appear to do. The more I read, the more I felt a connection with May, or found that it was easier to relate to what she was feeling, a sense of being unconnected in a world of change. In the end, I was pleased to see that the visits to her friends led to a transformation in May's ability to open up a little more and find what she's been missing.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.