So, I’ve managed to get myself lost in the 1920’s for a week or two. I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription but rarely use it because ‘The Teenager’ always has ten books out at any one time. That all changed a few weeks ago when I used Kindle Unlimited to devour a few short books, boost my Goodreads reading challenge for the year, and just get away from historical fiction and fantasy for a while. It was quite a bit of fun.
Here’s what I found;
House Party Murder Rap by Sonia Parin.
Here’s the blurb;
1920s England. Lighthearted cozy historical mystery.
Two people have been targeted. Shots have been fired. Who stands to inherit? Who has the most to lose?
Evangeline ‘Evie’ Parker, Countess of Woodridge, thinks it’s nothing but an accident but then an attempt is made on her host’s life. Suddenly, all the guests attending the Duke of Hetherington’s house party think they are being targeted. Who will be next?
Evie and her new chauffeur form an unlikely alliance to discover as much as they can before the killer can get it right.
My review was brief and to the point;
Just needs more of everything! And a good edit.
The murder mystery is simply solved. Enjoyable all the same.
I confess I was sucked in by the ‘USA Today Bestselling Author’ bit on the cover, and was a bit surprised the book wasn’t better edited/plotted etc, but, as I said, I did enjoy it all the same and read Book 2 as well before moving onto.
A Subtle Murder by Blythe Baker.
Here’s the blurb;
Murder and intrigue on the Arabian Sea…
When Rose Beckingham sets sail for England in the summer of 1926, she brings more than souvenirs from her years in India. She carries the memory of a family tragedy and a secret so terrible it could destroy the new life she hopes to build in London.
But Rose isn’t the only passenger aboard the RMS Star of India with something to hide. Halfway across the Arabian Sea, death strikes and a murderer begins a deadly game only Rose can hope to end.
With a mysterious Frenchman haunting her steps, can Rose outrun her past? And can she stay alive long enough to decipher the clues left by a taunting killer? Or will murder call again before the first port?
It was the cover that attracted me to this series. And in fact, I went on to read the four books currently available in the series, with Book 5 due out later in March. My review was a little less brief this time.
“Read the entire series in a week – books are entertainingly light and fluffy, although the situations do get more and more far-fetched, and I was pleased to get to the end of Book 5. The main complaint is the liberal splattering of ‘Americanisms’ throughout the books – even with everything taken into account in the storyline, there are many characters who would say streets and pavements rather than blocks and sidewalks. The first book is the best of them all. Enjoy!”
From there, I made a leap into the 1930’s.
Flora Mackintosh and the Hungarian Affair by Anna Reader.
Here’s the blurb;
Flora Mackintosh’s only real problem was managing to source decent gin at school – at least until she received a mysterious telegram from an uncle she never knew she had, summoning her to Hungary. Sneaking out of St. Penrith’s for Girls and with the promise of adventure in the air, Flora packs her hip-flask, Gauloises, and pistol and sets off for Europe.
Accompanied by a new friend and with nothing but the telegram to go on, she finds herself suddenly plunged into a world of espionage, danger and thrilling excitement.
My review was quite simple. “I say, jolly good fun.” And it was. With a more enjoyable plot and a fab main character, and a little more serious in tone, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and went onto reading the sequel, which has a different main character, but was quite enjoyable all the same – especially if you like cricket!
All of these books were on Kindle Unlimited which meant that to my mind at least, they didn’t cost me anything to read – and so I welcomed taking the gamble on something I wouldn’t normally read. I am a huge fan of Poirot and the Phryne Fisher series (books and TV series) but don’t often read outside those two series. It seems that there’s a lot more out there to sink my teeth in to and I’m sure I’ll head back to the 1920s and 1930s in due time. (Warning, there is a lot of alcohol consumption in the books by Anna Reader – I did begin to worry a bit about the health of all the characters.)
MJ Porter 