List serve mention of the day goes to ‘Thieves in a Purple Suburban’ – first off the idea of “thieves” running loose in the neighborhood brings images of plundering, pirates and mayhem – secondly they’re in a purple suburban, I know it’s Austin but really there can’t be too many of those around.
The Story of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb
I absolutely loved this book! It’s light and easy and just fun. It was brought up at book club many times and so I just had to grab it. I’m glad we didn’t do it for BC, I don’t think there is a whole lot to discuss, pure pleasure read.
Hallie James has believed all her life that her mother perished in a house fire. She receives a letter from an attorney stating the death of a Madelin Crane, along with a letter from Madeline Crane stating that Hallie is her daughter and she has believed for 30 years that Hallie and her father were dead. This sends Hallie’s world into a tail spin as she tries to discover why her father would have lied to her all of these years. Her life is further complicated as she returns to the island in which she was born and raised and begins to uncover the mysteries and tragedies of her family and her ancestors.
In all the book is a wonderful ghost story, rich with mystery and family ancestry. The setting is fantastic, an island off the Great Lakes where the mode of transportation for the last 100 plus hears has been foot, bike or horse drawn carriages. Much of the book includes accounts in story teller format which really adds to the mystery and ancestry of the island and the main characters family.
Highly recommend!
My little reading buddy – she makes herself completely comfortable despite your discomfort.
Nice little bookmark system isn’t it? She doesn’t make things easy – I had to literally lift her paw so I could turn the pages.
Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn
This is the fifth in a series and of course it’s a series I absolutely fell in love with from the start. If you like late Victorian England murder mystery / romance then this is your cuppa. Dark Enquiry follows our favorite couple Julia and Brisbane as they have returned from their honeymoon (as you can read in Dark Road to Darjeerling, #4) and are setting up their household in London. They quickly involve themselves in a blackmailing / murder plot that draws more than one of Julia’s eccentric family members into the heart of the matter.
Though this mystery plot wasn’t quite as sinister and exciting as some of Raybourn’s other plots the story line is still fantastic. A great mix of mystery, romance and hilarity, Dark Enquiry will not disappoint fans of the Lady Julia series by any means!
Raybourn is one of my favorite authors. She captures her characters well and I find myself tearing up and laughing out loud throughout her books. DO NOT judge a book by its cover though. In my opinion this book and Silent on the Moor have terrible book jackets – they are both reminiscent of of 1980′s costumes of Victorian England, ick. So just push past that.
