Our Zoom meeting August 11, 2020

This meeting covered our reading for June and July so there is a lot here.

BarbaraA
SIX WICKED REASONS, Jo Spain
A ROOM MADE OF LEAVES, Kate Grenville
MISS AUSTEN, Gill Hornby

Annie
A ROOM MADE OF LEAVES, Kate Grenville
THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS, Pip Williams
DICTATORLAND: THE MEN WHO STOLE AFRICA, Paul Kenyon
THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE, Jonatahn Kellerman
FALSE ADVERTISING, Dianne Blacklock
WHO DID YOU TELL? Lesley Kara
GILDED CAGE, Camilla Lackberg

Meredith
THE GOOD WOMAN OF RENMARK, Darry Fraser
WILL OF THE HEART, Darry Fraser
MURDER AT THE LOCH, Eric Brown
THE BURNT COUNTRY, Joy Rhoades
TORCHED, Kimberley Starr
CROC COUNTRY, Kerry McGinnis
THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKEN HEARTED, Robert Hillman

Suzanne

The Diamond Hunter - Fiona McIntosh:

From the harsh desert of Africa’s Kimberley diamond mine to the misty, green plains of northern England, The Diamond Hunter is a breathtaking adventure story about trust and betrayal, class structure and social justice. 

The Heart Of The Ritz - Luke Devenish:

Inspiring and dramatic story about the resistance movement in and around the Paris Hotel Ritz.

Into The Wilderness - Sara Donati:

Weaving a tapestry of fact and fiction, Sara Donati's epic novel sweeps us into another time and place...and into the heart of a forbidden affair between an unconventional Englishwoman and an American frontiersman.

Lighthouse Bay - Kimberley Freeman:

This breathtaking novel travels more than a century between two love stories set in the Australian seaside town of Lighthouse Bay.
In these two adventurous love stories, both Isabella and Libby must learn that letting go of the past is the only way to move into the future. The answers they seek lie in Lighthouse Bay.

Did You Know We Had A Screen Door? - Claire Laishley:

The hiring of a Winnebago, a thoroughly entertaining read that will leave a smile on your face long after you have turned the last page.

Les Parisiennes - Anne Sebba:

The account of the French women who dared to say no to the Nazis is compelling.

I enjoyed all the above books, but Les Parisiennes was exceptional!

Annette
EACH AND EVERY ONE, by Rachael English
THE SAFE PLACE, by Anna Downes
MR WIGG, by Inga Simpson
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, by Delia Owens

CindyK
THE COUNTRY PRACTICE, Meredith Appleyard's debut novel (an oldie, but a good read)
CONGO DAWN, Katherine Scholes
THE BEAUTIFUL MOTHER, Katherine Scholes  (brilliant)
HOW THE DEAD SPEAK, Val McDermid
THE DISTANT ECHO, Val McDermid                      "
HANNAH AND EMIL, Belinda Castles (superb++)
THE PARIS SECRET,Natasha Lester  (superb++)
THE CAKEMAKER'S WISH Josephine Moon's latest, which was simply delightful
ALL IN HER HEAD, Nikki Smith

Barb Wheatcroft

Elsa Goody - Bushranger – Darry Fraser.  I chose this book because she’s an author I haven’t read before.  The story is about 2 sisters left after their parents & 3 brothers all died within a few years of each other and they are left to run a broken-down farm.  One sister is (unhappily) married to the local baker and the youngest (Elsa) is left to look after the farm and their father with no income.  It’s a good story, well-written and I enjoyed it.

The Paris Wedding – Charlotte Nash.  This is another author I haven’t read before.  She was born in England but grew up in Brisbane.  This was a nice story with one or two twists and turns which kept me interested.  The main character, Rachael, is invited to her boyfriend from her teenage years wedding in Paris.  She hasn’t ever really moved on from him but chose to stay at the family farm with her Mother and work the property while he moved to Sydney and became a doctor. 

Lost Roses – Martha Hall Kelly.  I downloaded this as an audio book and realised I had already read it some time ago.  I listened to it and enjoyed it again.  I had forgotten parts of it and so it wasn’t a complete waste and it kept me entertained while I was driving.

Her Mother’s Secret – Natasha Lester.  I picked up this book because I like the author and realised this was another book I had read before.  Again, I finished the book and again, I had forgotten some parts.  I think almost everyone has read this as well.

The Portrait of Molly Dean – Katherine Kovacic.  I know many have read this one but I’d purchased the 2^nd book and realised I needed to read this one first – to set the scene.  I loved it and can’t wait to get to the next one.

The Love Letter – Lucinda Riley.   This book was not one of the series about the sisters.  It was a mystery about a letter which held the clue & the story about a love affair between a member of the aristocracy and a commoner.  It was a good story and very enjoyable.

In the Clearing – J P Pomare.  My daughter gave me this book to read and halfway through I wasn’t sure I wanted to finish it, but I’m glad I did.  It’s a novel based on The Family cult and was absolutely gripping.

Kerrie's reads - see    https://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/ for reviews

    4.5, THE PUPPET SHOW, M. W. Craven
    4.5, BLACK SUMMER, M. W. Craven
    4.7, THE GUEST LIST, Lucy Foley
    4.6, SINS OF THE DEAD, Lin Anderson
    4.7, TIME FOR THE DEAD, Lin Anderson
    4.4, THE CAKEMAKER'S WISH, Josephine Moon NOT crime fiction
    4.5, DEAR CHILD, Romy Hausmann - translated
    4.4, THE MEMORY WATCHER, Minka Kent
    4.4, HUNTING GAME, Helene Tursten - translated
    4.5, WHO WE WERE, B. M. Carroll - Australian author
    4.7, INHERITANCE OF SECRETS, Sonya Bates - Australian author
    5.0, THE OTHER PASSENGER, Louise Candlish

Heather Hier

The Chocolate Promise                                                    
Josephine Moon

Set in Tasmania, Paris and Provence, France, this feel good novel was an easy and enjoyable read.

Chocolate à la Murder                                                     
Kirsten Weiss

A murder mystery set around a paranormal museum and chocolate makers.

The Van Apfel Girls are Gone                                        
Felicity McLean

Against the backdrop of the Lindy Chamberlain case, three young sisters go missing from a community event. Their good friends are haunted by the mystery and worry that they may have prevented the disappearance as they knew the sisters planned to run away from their overbearing parents.   Twenty years later when one of the friends is dying, her sister returns from America and wonders if she can solve the mystery.

Red Bones                                                                            
Anne Cleeves

Another in the Shetland series.  Inspector Jimmy Perez has two modern murders to solve amid an archaeological dig on one of the smallest islands of the Shetland Islands, Scotland.  Bones turned up at the dig are mostly 16^th Century but there is doubt that one lot are much later.

The Diamond Hunter                                                        
Fiona Macintosh

Set in Africa and England a young girl lives with her father on the Kimberley Diamond fields after her mother dies. When her father dies (or is murdered) she is taken to England by an uncle who loves her and cares for her but steals her inheritance, including a huge and priceless diamond.

The Shroud Conspiracy                                                   
 John   Haubusch

Novel debating the validity of the Shroud of Turin by a panel of scientists, including a famous atheist and a young deeply religious lady working for the Vatican.

Broken Bone China                                                            
Laura Childs

A teashop mystery featuring Theodosia, Dreyton and Haley recipes, tea varieties and murder in Charleston USA.

Blue Lightening                                                                 
 Anne Cleeves

Also in the Shetland series. In this novel Jimmy Perez must solve the murders of two women at a bird sanctuary on his home island of Fair Isle. He has taken his fiancé Fran to meet his parents and there is a tragic ending.  I have been reading these whenever the Library could supply them for me and therefore, they have not been in order. Although they can be read alone this has answered a few questions I wondered about from other books in the series.

Blood Queen                                                                      
 Joanna Courtney

A novel suggesting the true story of Lady Macbeth, quite different to Shakespeare’s story.

Masterpiece                                                                        
Francine Rivers

Story of love, faith and struggles of two young people from difficult backgrounds.

The People Versus Alex Cross                                       
James Patterson

The Glovemaker’s Daughter                                          
Leah Fleming

1666 - A girl born to Quaker parents who die at her birth is raised by relatives in a restricted life but shunned as she is outspoken and forced to leave the farm and community where she lived. The Seekers (Quakers) are persecuted for their faith. Rejoice (Joy) who is rebellious and courageous, travels to Philadelphia in the New World (America).

2014 A leather bound journal is found buried in the walls of the Meeting House, Pennsylvania which begins research by the finder of the book.

The Rooster Bar                                                                
 John Grisham

The Perfume Garden                                                        
Kate Lord Brown

The story of a pregnant, young woman, a perfumier, whose mother has died of cancer and the father of the baby she is carrying has been killed in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre (USA). Emma lives in London but is losing her famous and well-respected perfume business to her supposed friend and business partner who is also the dead partner’s old girlfriend. Emma seeks refuge in Valencia, Spain in an old dilapidated house left to her by her mother.  She renovates the house, gives birth to a son and finally unlocks the secrets of her mother’s life.

The Spice King                                                                     
Elizabeth Camden

A young girl from Kansas gains work as a botanist at the Smithsonian in Washington. She meets a businessman, owner of a well-known global spice empire and is caught up in a web of love, spying, national interests as she cares for her blind sister.

Forgiveness Road                                                              
Leah Fleming

An incredibly sad story of a young girl who kills her father and is committed to a mental hospital. Her relationships with her mother, sisters and grandmother are explored and the reason for the murder is exposed. The tragedy has a happy(possibly) ending in the final couple of pages.

Fields of Gold                                                                      
Fiona Macintosh

At the end of the Great War, two young men find themselves far from home, with everything to gain or everything to lose…

Charismatic womaniser Jack Bryant has the world at his feet, but when trouble catches up with him he's forced to flee Britain for good.

Handsome, honest Ned Sinclair is on a family adventure in Rangoon when he is dealt a bitter blow. With all the odds against him, he risks his life in a desperate bid to escape.

Both men hope to start their lives anew, seeking their fortune in India's fields of gold. Their paths collide in the colourful city of Bangalore, where they form a friendship like no other. In the years that follow, they remain inextricably bound by a dark secret, while their love for the same woman threatens to tear them apart.

From the windswept clifftops of the Cornish coast to the goldmines of southern India, this is a page-turning story of high adventure, devastating tragedy and enduring love.

Faithless                                                                                
Karin Slaughter

A chief of detectives and his wife walking in the woods discover the body of a young girl buried alive in a box underground. She has been killed by cyanide poisoning. Enquiries lead detectives to a nearby isolated community whose strange behaviours raise questions about links to other missing girls.

The Wardrobe Mistress                                                 
 Meghan Masterson

A story of Marie Antoinette seen through the eyes of one of her wardrobe attendants who gains the confidence of the queen in the time leading up to and during the French Revolution. The servant is torn between loyalty to the queen (and fear of losing her job) and the cause of the common people when she is persuaded by her uncle to spy on the royal family.

The Grand Duchess of Nowhere                                   
Laurie Graham

Ducky, (Grand Duchess Victoria Melita) grand - daughter of Queen Victoria (England) and Alexander II (Tsar of Russia) is twice cousin to the Imperial Russians, Nicholas and Alexander and related to most of the royalty of Europe. She is pressured to marry her reluctant first cousin Ernie of Hesse who is more interested in affairs with his male servants than in providing an heir with her. For many years Ducky loves from afar her other first cousin Duke Cyril who also professes to love her.  

Eventually against much opposition from family and the Tsar, Ducky manages to gain a divorce and after years and without permission from the Tsar, has a quiet wedding to her love.

Set against a backdrop of WWII and the Russian Revolution, Ducky who experiences death of her first child and other family, goes from living a life of luxury and parties to fearing for her family’s lives and wondering when they will next eat. As a keen reader of Russian History, I am familiar with most of the main characters in this novel, although Ducky has been a character on the sidelines of other stories about the Russian Royal family and their tragic massacre. Although most sympathetic to the peasants who were oppressed, starved and mistreated for generations, one can’t help feel a certain sympathy for some of the aristocracy who were naïve and largely ignorant of what was happening around them (their wealth and station in life did not protect them as they had been brought up to expect).

Harvest of Rubies ,
Tessa Afshar

Set in 450 BC, a young Jewish girl living in a Persian Community teaches herself to read and write, learns several languages and accounting – all most unusual for a female at that time and especially for an almost peasant girl. Her cousin the prophet Nehemiah has a prestigious position in the court of King Artaxerxes and surprisingly Sarah finds herself working as senior scribe to the queen.  Eventually she is placed in a marriage to a Persian aristocrat whose mother was Jewish, father a Persian Lord.  Darius does not want her for a wife and believes she is a liar who embarrasses him at court.  Left at his country home while he is away for months, she is isolated, threatened by his steward who keeps her a virtual prisoner. He is committing numerous frauds and crimes and eventually tries to poison her and kidnap her. Lacking in self confidence and feeling unloved and useless she solves a puzzle of near disaster for the queen who becomes her friend and mentor and the problems of her husband’s estate although he still does not trust her. Seriously injured by the knife wielding steward she finally tells her husband she loves him even though he is still reluctant to believe her. Throughout her faith in God grows and as she makes friend with her servants, she comes to believe she is a worthy person.