No physical books read this month.
Audio Books Completed:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) 5/5 stars
I've loved this book since high school, and I enjoyed my reread immensely. Austen's writing is witty, funny, intelligent, and perceptive, and while Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite of her works, it's still a five-star experience.
In this Victorian-era story, Frances Wynn, the American born Countess of Harleigh, finds her early widowhood to be quite a bit more exciting than her married life. She moves to London with her young daughter, takes on the coming-out of her teenaged sister, is accused of murdering her late husband, becomes involved with a spate of high society robberies, and tries her hand at detecting.
This is a fun, light mystery, generally well-written. The prominent characters are likeable, especially Frances herself, who narrates the tale. Historically, it is mostly accurate, though it doesn't keep the feel of the times. Plot-wise, it's not always believable nor particularly twisty or surprising, yet is still fully entertaining enough to make me want to continue the series.
A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2019) 3/5 stars
The second in the Countess of Harleigh series is also fun and light, despite featuring two murders, scandal, and danger. The same characters feature, and are as engaging as in the first book. The solution is easy to see but it is an entertaining tale nonetheless. The problem is that it misses the mark on Victorian atmosphere several times, with things that are just possible, but not probable, and made some of the book ring false for this armchair historian.
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2020) 3/5 stars
In the third of the Countess of Harleigh novels, a series of accidents at a country house party begins to look like attempted murder. As with the previous two, it's a light and fun mystery set in Victorian England, with engaging characters and an entertaining plot. Freeman kept to the era better than she did in the second book, a gave it a more twisty story and a less obvious solution.
A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman (2021) 3/5 stars
The fourth of the Countess of Harleigh novels follows the style of the others, and so is a light and fun story, with likable characters and an interesting plot, and a generally authentic late Victorian atmosphere. I had no trouble deducing the culprit early on, but that is probably due more to my 40 years of reading mysteries than to obvious foreshadowing. Like the rest of the series, it was enjoyable but not exceptional.
Castle Shade by Laurie R. King (2021) 5/5 stars (my review here)
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (1994) 3/5 stars
After finishing the last (so far) of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, I had a desire to revisit the early books. The gist of my 2017 review (here) still stands. It feels like fan-fiction, Russell is too perfect, and the final conflict is overly melodramatic, so technically-speaking it's not worth more than three stars (though later better-written books have earned a well-deserved five). Despite that, I loved it like a guilty pleasure, like eating an entire box of chocolates all at once: I totally enjoyed myself, but I would be ashamed to admit it.
After finishing the last (so far) of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, I had a desire to revisit the early books. The gist of my 2017 review (here) still stands. It feels like fan-fiction, Russell is too perfect, and the final conflict is overly melodramatic, so technically-speaking it's not worth more than three stars (though later better-written books have earned a well-deserved five). Despite that, I loved it like a guilty pleasure, like eating an entire box of chocolates all at once: I totally enjoyed myself, but I would be ashamed to admit it.
Did Not Finish:
The Untold History of the Potato by John Reader
The Untold History of the Potato by John Reader
Because I enjoy this type of nonfiction -- one that focuses on a person, thing, or event and uses that as the touchstone for reporting what went on around that focus -- I was excited to read this. I listened to the audio book for two hours, but it was slow and dull and not engagingly written. When I realized that I'd zoned out for about thirty minutes and would have to go back and re-listen, I decided I'd just rather quit.
