Linda Frenzel, MSLS
Camden Library Director
Linda's Picks:
Fresh from a six-month sojourn in Italy, Lady Julia returns home to Sussex to find her father's estate crowded with family and friends: but dark deeds are afoot at the deconsecrated abbey, and a murderer roams the ancient cloisters.
Much to her surprise, the one man she had hoped to forget, the enigmatic and compelling Nicholas Brisbane, is among her father's houseguests...and he is not alone. Not to be outdone, Julia shows him that two can play at flirtation and promptly introduces him to her devoted, younger, titled Italian count.
But the homecoming celebrations quickly take a ghastly turn when one of the guests is found brutally murdered in the chapel, and a member of Lady Julia's own family confesses to the crime. Certain of her cousin's innocence, Lady Julia resumes her unlikely and deliciously intriguing partnership with Nicholas Brisbane, setting out to unravel a tangle of deceit before the killer can strike again. When a sudden snowstorm blankets the abbey like a shroud, it falls to Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane to answer the shriek of murder most foul. Amazon
With a promise to her youngest sister, Sarah Summers declares that this year's Christmas at Sea View will exceed all expectations. But an upcoming trip to Scotland—and the prospect of becoming reacquainted with dashing widower Callum Henshall—blows a flurry of doubts into her mind. Sarah had discouraged his attentions before yet soon finds herself once again torn between attraction and duty as alluring thoughts of a second chance at love weave their way into her practical heart.
Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Georgiana eagerly anticipates the exciting Christmas of her dreams after last year's dull, disappointing holiday filled with endless chores. She enjoys all the promised parties, music, and dancing, but is taken by surprise when young love comes knocking. Does the festive romance of a Sea View Christmas hold the key to a happily-ever-after for both sisters? Julie Klassen's heartwarming Christmas companion to the On Devonshire Shores series holds themes of friends to more, sisterhood bonds, and matchmaking that will fill you with holiday spirit. This novella can be enjoyed separately or along with the series and will appeal to fans of Jane Austen, English Regency romance, and Downtown Abbey. Amazon
“The best Murder Club book yet. . . A poignant complement to both the fair-play mystery plot and the characters’ lively humor.”
—The New York Times Book Review
Shocking news reaches them—an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.
The gang's search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters—as well as heartache close to home—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust.
With the body count rising, the clock ticking down, and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out. Amazon
Erin's Picks
The latest in T. Kingfishers books that I have read. It takes place back in North Carolina in a deceased hoarders house that her granddaughter is trying to pick through while also uncovering layer upon layer of secrets....and spirits. This book will have a few recurring lines stuck in your head for days. And you might not look at shadows in the woods the same anytime soon.
This book was a great read! The author cleverly inputs pictures to help imagery really hold onto how you perceive what is being drawn by the child. The ending was fast paced didn't leave me wanting, if anything, I got emotional!
This book was...interesting. Told from the point of view of an 8 year old girl, we read her every thought and movement as she and her family suffer from an unwanted guest, that wants nothing more than to enter the heart of our main protagonist. While complicated to read, if you remind yourself that this is from the view of a child while also thinking like an adult, the story that unravels is far deeper than just a ghost living in the closet.
Kelly's Picks: