England

The Housekeepers

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The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

This historical thriller is set in fashionable Mayfair, London in 1905. The DeVries mansion on Park Lane will be the location for a lavish costume ball in June, and possibly a grand heist to rival that of Ocean’s Eleven. The housekeeper, Mrs. King, has just been fired. She has an unexpected connection to the recently deceased Wilhelm DeVries. Wilhelm was originally Danny O’Flynn, who made his fortune the South African diamond trade, funded with a loan from his sister, Mrs. Bone. Winnie is the previous housekeeper, Alice is seamstress to Miss DeVries, Hephzibah is an actress, and Janes One and Two are temporary parlormaids as well as trapeze artists.

Previous maids have disappeared; perhaps they learned too many secrets, or were pregnant. The seven women, headed by Mrs. King, decide to clean the house of all its valuable contents the very same night of the ball. The costume ball is Egyptian themed, including camels, a miniature pyramid, and a water feature.

Can the women agree on an equal partnership, find the funds to hire specialized help, and come up with a detailed plan, as well as backup plans? Mrs. King must decide if the handsome footman William needs to be included, and what to do about the creepy Lord Ashley, possible suitor to Miss DeVries. The ball and the heist are both astounding, and well detailed. Neither the ball or the heist goes to plan, of course, and very important guests might arrive just as the heist is taking place.

Very cleverly plotted and entertaining, with an intensifying pace. Although I don’t believe film rights have been sold, this debut novel would be visually stunning and very witty as a movie.

Brenda

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook to Surviving Medieval England

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The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

If you’re in the mood for lighter science fiction with a bit of fantasy and Norse mythology, here’s the perfect choice. A man wakes in a field with no memory of his past, his name, or how he arrived in what appears to be early medieval Britain. He meets brave Ealstan, lovely scop Sefawynn and others, and they call him Runian the aelv. Runian finds many pages of a partially burned copy of the Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, part guide and part advertisement. Runian, or John West, has traveled to another dimension, a parallel Earth. He learns that he can draw, had some police training in Seattle, he can fight and has some augmented plating in his arms, along with medical nanites. And has lost his wife Jen. John remembers an awful boss named Ulric, his former best friend Ryan Chu, and Quinn, who won their last fight.

With his enhancements, John helps Ealstan and Sefawynn repel Hordamen from the sea, and learns about Norse gods and helpful wights. Gradually John remembers more of his past, including that his best talents are lying and running away. Will John escape back to modern Seattle when he has the chance, or choose a new future for himself? An entertaining read, but one that made me think, just like Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett’s Long Earth series is a good readalike. My favorite book by Sanderson isn’t as well-known as his series; it’s the teen novel The Rithmatist.

Brenda

Courting Dragons

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Courting Dragons: A King’s Fool Mystery by Jeri Westerson

This historical mystery is set in Greenwich, London, at the court of King Henry VIII, in 1529. Yes, that Renaissance King Henry. Court Jester Will Somers is in his mid-20’s and has challenging work, entertaining the King and his court, tumbling, making music, sharing gossip, teasing the nobility, and also being a good confidant for the young king, who he calls Harry or Uncle. Will was a real person, and was a jester for King Henry and even young Queen Elizabeth, and had his portrait painted at least twice. This is the first book in a planned series.

Many of the book’s characters are fictions, including Lady Marion, an embroideress who Will loves. Will also likes men, dallying with a servant and a visiting Spaniard. This secret is dangerous, and he could be blackmailed. As this is a mystery, Will also turns sleuth, when one man is killed, someone else is attacked, and Marion is almost killed. Was Marion the target, or was it one of Anne Boleyn’s ladies in waiting. Anne is not yet queen, as Henry is still married to Catherine of Aragorn, his first wife. The colorful daily life of Henry’s court comes to life, especially as a fool can go almost anywhere. This mystery really kept my interest, and I look forward to reading a sequel.

Readalikes include Thirteenth Night by Alan Gordon, the first of six Fool’s Guild mysteries and A Play of Isaac by Margaret Frazer, the first of seven mysteries featuring Joliffe.

The Bookbinder

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The Bookbinder by Pip Williams

Peggy Jones, 21, and her twin sister Maude fold and gather sections of books at the Oxford University Press before and during World War I. They live on a narrowboat moored on a canal, with friends on a nearby boat.

Peggy is occasionally scolded for reading the pages as she folds them, and enjoys bringing home sections of books that weren’t good enough to bind.

Maude loves to fold paper, and makes paper stars at home. She doesn’t talk much, mostly echoing phrases she hears other people say. Lotte, a Belgian refugee, starts working at the binder. She finds Maude’s company soothing, so that Peggy can volunteer, along with posh Gwen, to read to injured soldiers, including Bastian, a gravely injured Belgian.

Suffragette Tilda, their late mother’s close friend, volunteers as a nurse’s aide and is sent to a hospital near the front. Her letters to Maude and Peggy, sent through an acquaintance to avoid the censors, keep them informed about life on the front. The war and the influenza epidemic certainly do not make for cheerful reading, but the characters, setting and plot really drew me into the story.

This book made me want to visit Oxford again, or at least reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers. Peggy seems real—her dreams, struggles, good and bad choices, and her daily life. Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble is a good readalike. This was a remarkable read, and will be published later in July.

The White Lady

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The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear

This historical novel set in Belgium, France, and England, is not part of the author’s celebrated Maisie Dobbs mystery series. Featuring Elinor White, or Linni DeWitt, this is a story set in three different time periods, all narrated by Elinor. In 1947, Elinor is living in a cottage in Shacklehurst, and has a flat in London. When her neighbors Rose & Jim Mackie and especially their young daughter Susie are threatened by members of a London gang, Elinor draws on her connections from work with the SOE (Special Operations Executive) during World War II, which sent her to Belgium with Steve Warren, now a Detective Chief Inspector. As a girl, Linni and her older sister Cecily, along with their English mother Charlotte, worked with the Resistance in Belgium during World War I, then later escaped to London to live with her grandmother. The Belgium setting during the two world wars made for a very interesting though very dark setting. There are a number of dramatic plot twists and turns, with a few too many coincidences. Elinor is a fascinating character, and this is a compelling read. Readalikes include books by Cara Black and Laurie King, along with The Bookbinder by Pip Williams.

Murder Before Evensong

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Murder Before Evensong: A Canon Clement Mystery by The Reverence Richard Coles

This English village mystery, the first featuring Canon Daniel Clement, is set in Champton. A reference to Celine Dion winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland establishes the year as 1988. Daniel Clement has been the rector of Champton for 8 years. He shares the rectory with his dachshunds Como and Hilda, and his opinionated and outspoken mother Audrey. She often asks the questions Daniel is too polite to ask. Daniel’s younger brother Theo is visiting, studying up for a television role as a clergyman.

Some members of Daniel’s congregation are upset that Daniel wants to remove two back pews from the church to install a restroom. The Flower Guild ladies want a room with a sink, but not a lavatory. Others claim that that the pews are very old and mustn’t be removed, or perhaps just don’t want to lose their favorite pew.

When a body is discovered in the church, followed by another death, Daniel investigates to discover what secrets have led to the deaths. Daniel and the dogs are very good company, and his mother and brother are entertaining as well. I look forward to Canon Clement’s next mystery. Murder Before Evensong will be published in July in the U.S. and is already a bestseller in Great Britain.

Readalikes include The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, Isabel Puddles Abroad by M.V. Byrne, and Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder club series.