ATTENTION MYSTERY AND HISTORY LOVERS!

THE FIRST ASSASSIN

by John Miller

(Published by Amazon encore)

This is one of those novels that takes literary license with history. If I were teaching English (especially American Literature) or American History, I would assign this book to my students. The novel is based in historical fact but the author gives Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War a heart beat and breath sounds.

You might be deceived by the title of the novel and believe it is about John Wilkes Boothe, but you would be mistaken! This is a very different plot and a very different assassin!

We see how Abraham Lincoln might have been. We are taken inside conversations with generals during the Civil War and we hear them discuss the war. Lincoln is made so human in this novel.

We are introduced to a very heroic figure who is assigned to protect Lincoln, Colonel Charles P. Rook. The Rook character is a composite of several real people. He serves the roles of protector, detective and soldier.

This novel gets a standing ovation and a "BRAVO!" from this reader. I was captivated.

To hear my interview with John Miller, click here.

THE WOMEN OF MAGDALENE By Rosemary Poole-Carter

This novel is an unexpected gem. It is set in the south just after the end of the Civil War. A young doctor, Dr. Robert Mallory is traveling to his new job as the general practitioner at Magdalene Ladies' Lunatic Asylum. He is making his journey on foot and discovers a woman's body floating in a muddy river. This incident is the beginning of a series of events that allow the reader to look at a slice of American life that is uncomfortable and charged with emotion. The attitudes reflected in the novel are chilling, to say the least.

I felt as if I was reading a private diary kept by a young physician who has seen horrors of war that are beyond my comprehension. The war is over, but not for the women of Magdalene. Dr. Mallory is about to witness inhumanity at its most base level. The authentic feel of the novel makes it captivating.

I am reminded of Jane Austen and her reflections on Victorian society in England. Rosemary Poole-Carter gives the reader a similar glimpse into a dark part of American society. The reader wants to look away, but is so captivated, they can't. This is a powerful and compelling social commentary. What do you think.

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PEOPLE OF THE BOOK By Geraldine Brooks

To quote Geraldine Brooks, "this is a book about a book." The novel is fiction, but is inspired by actual events that took place when Geraldine was a war correspondent working for the Wall Street Journal covering Sarajevo reporting on the Bosnia war. She heard about the Sarajevo Haggadah, a priceless, exquisitely beautiful, six-hundred-year-old Jewish book that was saved from destruction by a Muslim.

The novel opens when book conservator, Hanna Heath, is given the job of a lifetime, to analyze and conserve the famed Sarajevo Haggadah. Hanna discovers small remains in the book, (a butterfly wing, a wine stain, etc) that lead the reader on a journey to discover the "life" the book has led. Hanna is changed in the process. Brooks uses flashbacks to give us insight into the many lives touched by this magical book. I enjoyed it very much. The novel gives a peek into a fascinating profession and tells a magical story about a magical book. This one is not to be missed. What do you think?


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CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laura Viera Rigler

Jane Austen addict, Courtney Stone, has an "out of body experience" after finding her fiancé in the arms of her wedding caterer and drowning her sorrows with Absolute. No, literally! Courtney finds herself not only in the body of a woman named Jane Mansfield (I laughed too!), but in another country and another century as well!

Suddenly Courtney/Jane is in the England of Jane Austen, forced to deal with the formal manners of society and the lack of modern conveniences. We are taken into a world where many of the things we take for granted would be considered scandalous!

Enter our hero. Or is he - the handsome, sexy, mysterious Mr. Edgeworth. Courtney/Jane finds herself with sweaty palms and lusty thoughts whenever he appears on the scene. The novel is well written, historically well researched, and takes the reader on a roller coaster ride. I loved it and can't wait for Laurie's next book.

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