I don't remember how I first ran across Susanna Kearsley's writing. I've now read and enjoyed all her work, but The Rose Garden is my favorite. Eva has lost the last of her family and returns to the only place she feels at home. There she begins hearing voices and finding paths that lead into another time. She must decide where she truly belongs. I love the time-slip aspect of Ms. Kearsley's writings. It's handled differently in every book, but she always writes about two different time periods. The historical side of her novels is often during the time of the Jacobite Risings. The events are not the focus of the books, but rather add tension and drama to the stories. More recently she has moved her setting to North America and written Bellewether, the historical side of which revolves around the French and Indian War.
This book has the greatest sense of place I've ever read. The Australia Outback is such a presence in the book that it almost another character. The Lost Man revolves around a ranching family. The family's two homes are three hours apart and two of the brothers have met for the first time in several months. At their feet lies the body of their brother. Did he commit suicide or was he murdered? How did he end up alone in the middle of the desert miles from his vehicle which is fully stocked with food and water to last a week? In the days following his death, family secrets will slowly come to light. There were several good discussions in the library over the conclusion.
I was late to reading this one, but when I finally picked it up, I loved it. Juliet is an author looking for the subject of her next book. She gets a letter from a complete stranger on the island of Guernsey and she eventually corresponds with several members of the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Eventually she travels to Guernsey to visit and, while conducting research for her book, she becomes deeply involved in the islanders' lives. The book is told in letters, a literary device I really enjoy. If you missed this one when it first came out, I highly recommend it!
Simone St. James is another author I can't quite remember how I discovered. Her books are spooky and full of ghosts. The ghosts are not usually the benevolent, gentle spirits of romance novels, but vengeful, angry, and very much able to affect the world around them. In An Inquiry into Love and Death Jillian is tasked with packing up the belongings of her deceased, ghost hunting, Uncle Toby. Jillian quickly realizes that a malevolent spirit is trying to enter the house and that her Uncle may have discovered something sinister in the nearby village. She and a Scotland Yard inspector must work together to solve both problems.
Dee Henderson writes Christian romantic suspense. Someone recommended her O'Malley series to me and I enjoyed it, but I have enjoyed her more recent works more. Unspoken is my favorite and I reread it often. Charlotte is selling off parts of her late grandfather's estate and she singles Bryce out to handle his collection of rare coins. What Bryce doesn't know is the extent of the collection and that Charlotte's past is hiding a huge secret. When it all comes to light, Bryce must figure out how he can best help Charlotte, both in disposing of her grandfather's assets and in putting her past to rest once and for all. I like the pacing of this book, although some may find it slow. I think Ms. Henderson reveals Charlotte's secrets masterfully.
Fire is actually the second book in a trilogy although it is only loosely related to the other two. Fire is the last human monster in existence, a trait that gives her impossible beauty and the ability to control minds. In a kingdom where rebellion is imminent, her abilities are coveted by those in power. Fire must figure out how to use her abilities in a way that she can live with so that she doesn't become her father, a man who terrorized all who came near him. I loved the first book of the series, Graceling, but Fire is my favorite. It's fantasy and adventure and romance. The character and world building of the author are very good. You do not have to read Graceling to enjoy this book, but the first couple of chapters will make more sense if you do.
This is not so much one book I love, but an author. I love Georgette Heyer for her Regency Era romances. Heyer had a quick wit and her books always make me laugh out loud. Her characters, usually but not always the heroine, get into ridiculous scrapes. Often our hero is the reluctant rescuer. However, occasionally, as in The Unknown Ajax, both our hero and heroine are sensible, rational people who are dealing with a large cast of characters who in some way or another are making life difficult for our heroes. Of course, everything always comes out okay in the end. Ms. Heyer is a classic author. She published most of her novels in the 30's, 40', and 50's with a few outliers.
So there you have it - seven books that I love. I hope you find something in my list that you can enjoy. The first six are available at Franklin County Library and a few of Georgette Heyer's books are available through our e-reading service, Overdrive.
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