​Private Investigator, 8 Ballo has been hired to find his client's daughter, Velma.  However, Velma Hartmann is a grown woman and 8's client, Fritz Hartmann isn't exactly the most upstanding businessman.  Nevertheless, 8 begins his search with Velma's esteemed crowd, joining Dorothy Parker at the Algonquin, Zelda Fitzgerald at her home, Coleman Hawkins at the Jazz clubs, and even Babe Ruth. While 8 finds leads, he becomes enamored with the idea of Velma, but finds more dirt on her father than anyone else.  As 8 gets closer to Velma, he discovers another missing girl, shady deals and gets involved with Bugsy Seigel. 


Velma gone awry is a fast-paced historical mystery in the roaring twenties.  The writing is very atmospheric, delving into the lavish 20's lifestyle with many noted historic characters, speakeasies, jazz clubs, mobsters and the beginning of the baseball leagues.  The mystery of Velma's disappearance was intriguing and layered.  The mystery deepened as we learned about her father's nefarious dealings, a missing friend of Velma's, Colleen and multiple inroads with the mob.  8 Ballo's character was an enigma himself, well developed and with many facets, a veteran with an interesting upbringing that gives him a unique perspective on the world around him.  An explosive ending created excitement and possibly more cases for 8 to follow. 

In 1947, Jeanne is one of the high school journalists chosen to witness the UN vote to create the state of Israel. Also heading to the UN is local journalist, John.  John is not only writing stories about the student's UN trip, but he is following a lead on a source that might have information on a group trying to undermine the vote.  Jeanne and John meet on the train from Chicago to New York and immediately feel a strong connection.  John asks Jeanne to help him write stories and she readily accepts, meanwhile, John is uncovering an assassination plot to dismantle the vote and Jeanne knows something is up.  Fifty years Jeanne and John have gone their separate ways until Jeanne receives an email from John asking her to help him write a book about the incident at the UN.  Jeanne must try to come to terms with that time in her life and see if she can forgive John for what happened all those years ago.  

Come November is a story of hope, redemption and second chances.  Told from alternating time periods of 1947 and 2003, suspense is built as Jeanne and John's past collides with their present.   It was fun to read about Jeanne's UN trip as a high school student, which was apparently based on a real trip that the author's mother was a part of.  For Jeanne's character, this trip was life changing and began a lifelong interest in world affairs as well as bringing to light a significant event in world history that is often forgotten. John's character is tenacious and goes after what he wants without a lot of thought for consequences.  The tension in the story rises as John attempts to stop the assassination plot as well as when John and Jeanne finally meet in Italy.  In 2003, John and Jeanne are older, but with the same feelings they shared in 1947.  However, personal problems and experience tells them to be more careful with their hearts this time around.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​The six Mitford sisters are a force to be reckoned with in England's social scene during the 1930's.  The three older sisters, Diana, Unity and Nancy take interesting and different paths as different political factions arise.  Diana causes an uproar as she divorces her wealthy husband in order to pursue a relationship with the married leader of the British fascist movement, Oswald Mosley.  Diana works relentlessly to pull in money and support for the fascist movement and works closely with her sister, Unity to pull support from Germany.  Unity pushes her parents to send her to boarding school in Germany so she can become close to her idol, Hitler.  By following his schedule closely, Unity is able to fall into Hitler's inner circle.  Nancy realizes that neither Mosley or Hitler are moving in the right direction.  Nancy writes fiction novels that show her feelings.  She also keeps in touch with Diana and Unity, despite their differences in opinion.  As war looms, the sisters have difficult decisions to make.  

The Mitford family was a very real family from England whose lives made an impact in different areas during the interwar period.  While this deeply emotional historical fiction story focuses on Nancy, Diana and Unity, each sibling lived a unique experience.  The writing shows the intricacies of what happens when politics and family dynamics collide in the Mitford family.  Written from alternating points of view of the very fully formed and different characters of Diana, Unity and Nancy, I was constantly amazed at how far the sister's love for one another extended even when their beliefs were at odds.  I could feel Diana and Unity's passion towards the powerful, charismatic, yet dangerous men that they pursued and how they poured their energy and worth into Mosley and Hitler's campaigns while being aware of the risks.  Nancy's bravery shines through as she uses her pen to try to show the world and her sisters the error of their ways while being incredibly tolerable of their actions towards their faces and actively fighting against them in the background. Overall,  The Mitford Affair is a suspenseful and heartfelt look at the intersection of family and politics. 

​Rachel Gomez is a 17 year old Jewish woman living in New York City during the American Revolution.  She is a staunch believer in American freedom and believes that the Jewish people will not have religious freedom under a monarch.  Rachel's father sends her to live with her aunt and uncle in Philadelphia when the British Invasion creeps closer.  With British officers around town, Rachel's good friend, Alexander Hamilton asks Rachel to use her feminine touch to spy for him.  Rachel finds a target in Captain John André and is able to help the Americans; however, as Rachel and John spend more and more time together, she may have to make a choice between love and her country. 

The Spymaster's Mistress is an intriguing and heartfelt novel of the American Revolution. Told through alternating points of view of Rachel and her cousin, David, aide to Benedict Arnold, many views of the war are explored.  From the beginning, I was pulled in by Rachel's fervor for fighting against the British.  David's point of view was equally as intriguing as he gave insight into Benedict Arnold's actions and state of mind as he went from hero to traitor.  The writing pulled me into the time period as well as the stark differences between the British occupation in Philadelphia and the battlefields.  From the time Rachel and John's flirtation began, I knew they would be a wonderful couple despite their many differences and loyalties.  It was interesting to watch Rachel's internal battle as she began to fall in love with John but still wanted to gather helpful intelligence for the Americans.  Alternatively, David tries to reconcile his feelings as his cousin marries an British Captain and Arnold seems to be falling apart.  Engrossing and genuine The Spymaster's Mistress is an amazing story of the American Revolution. 

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. 

Waabi is a Dakota living in the land his people call Mni Sota.  In 1850, the white settlers were part of Waabi's life for a while.  The settlers have asked to mine on the Dakota's land for resources in return for winter provisions.  One year, the government officials were late with the provisions, causing Waabi's father and many others to perish.  Waabi struggles with the changes happening around him, especially as the United States goes to War against itself.  Samuel Copeland and his family lived a peaceful life in Vermont, but after an injury to his father's leg, they go into debt.  When Samuel hears of free land in the new state of Minnesota, he convinces his family to relocate.  Living in Minnesota isn't as easy as the Copeland's imagined and tensions soon arise over resources with the settlers and the Dakota who never gave up their land.  As War rages between the North and South, another revolt is rising as the Ojibwe and Dakota combine forces to reclaim their land and attack Fort Snelling.  Together, Samuel and Waabi find a way to fight for a better future. 
 
Reclaiming Mni Sota is an alternate historical fiction story recounting the Dakota War of 1862.  The author is clearly passionate about this time period and while not a Native American himself, has put in a lot of effort into bringing their story to light and to think about what would have happened if the outcome of the war was flipped.  With alternating points of view of both Samuel, a white settler in Minnesota and Waabi, a Native Dakota, the struggle of both groups to survive with one another is apparent.  As the characters say, it is a war that was put in motion long before the men fighting were born.  Though from different backgrounds, Waabi and Samuel are both young men trying to find their way in a quickly changing world.  They both carry anger and grief from incidents stemming from interactions with the other's culture.  However, they both find killing unfulfilling.  I was intrigued by Waabi and Samuel's alliance to fight for what they thought would help them move forward.  With an alternate ending to the war, with Mni Sota Makoce becoming a Sovereign Independent Nation, we are reminded of the ways we have come to own land and be stewards of that land as well as what land ownership means in modern times. 
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 
 

​Betty Keller, one of King Charles' II many mistresses has been found murdered in her bed.  The weapon and a note lead those around the King to believe that the murderer might be connected to another of the King's mistresses, Lady Castlemaine. While the King continues his revelry, different groups surrounding him plot for his demise and success.  King Charles II thoroughly enjoys the theatre and often finds new mistresses through the actresses there and the theatre directors are only happy to oblige.  The many women surrounding Charles all vie for his attention while having different motives while in his company.  Others plot for the King's murder while the King blissfully plans his next romantic encounter.  

The King's Favorite is part historical mystery and part court intrigue.  The history and attention to detail in King Charles II's time is the main focus.  I knew of Barbara Villiers and was intrigued by the many other mistresses of King Charles as well as their interactions with him and each other.  The mystery of Betty's death almost takes a back seat to the many other intrigues happening around King Charles.  The theatre directors have a large part in setting the scene along with the rest of the theatre company.  The writing is very descriptive in nature and didn't pull my interest as much as it could have in many parts, hopping from different characters and scenes.  I did want to know who killed Betty and how and was intrigued by the ending and how it played out. 

 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Rollie Birch returned to his home town of Lumberton, Washington after the Great War in 1919.  He has returned as a war hero, but has a difficult position to return to.  His wife, Tess, died while he was overseas and now Rollie has a newborn daughter to care for.  Rollie dedicates all of his energy to raising Genevieve, deciding to quit the family construction business.  Not everyone agrees with Rollie's actions, however. Harry Sorensen, Rollie's former commander, comes home and quickly denigrates Rollie's heroic acts.  Kay, Harry's wife, tries to get to the truth of Harry's hatred of Rollie as she notices a change in Harry after returning from the War. 

Lonely Are The Brave is a deeply thoughtful novel about societal expectations, honesty and living the life you want.  The characters are amazingly created, realistic and easy to identify with.  Rollie's situation is very different from the typical WWI story. As a male raising a daughter alone, he is challenged from many different sources.  Rollie's story challenges the definition of a man.  Kay's character challenges what it is to be a woman at the time.  Harry simply wants her to be a figure for his campaign for office, Kay wants her opinions heard and to be an equal partner in his life, eventually deciding to do what is best for herself.  I like that the suspense mounted in waves as Rollie and Kay discovered secrets that were kept from them while keeping the focus on the intricacies of the character's lives.  The setting was also historically accurate, a small town after WWI where patriotism is at a high, Prohibition was already law in Washington and society has strict expectations for men and women set these characters up for an interesting journey. 
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Henry Schultz's family left Nazi Germany and settled in the United States before the war broke out.  Now, in 1989 Henry watches the Berlin Wall fall on TV and decides it is time to go back to Germany.  Henry hopes to visit his former home and connect with his enchanting neighbor, Anna Himmel.  Arriving in Germany, Henry is surprised by all of the changes.  He finds Anna quickly, still residing in their childhood town.  Anna has changed, but she has not lost her spirit.  Anna desperately wants to tell Henry the story of her attempt to rescue a young girl from death, the affects her brother suffered working for the Reich and the consequences for her intervention.  

I Am Germany tells the important story of a population killed outside of the concentration camps, disabled children. Through Anna and Henry's alternating points of view from 1989 and and 1940, a harrowing story of the awful and truthful events in Hartheim Castle come to light.  With the two points of view and timelines, it did take a little while for me to settle into the story.  However, once Anna began her tale of rescue from Hartheim, I was fully engaged.  While I was aware of the additional killing of those who were disabled in Nazi Germany, I was unaware of the entirety of the act.  Anna learns that her brother is employed at Hartheim Castle, a fairytale setting, and will be engaged in heinous acts.  Anna's brother collects children with disabilities from their parents and tells them they will be receiving treatment, only to be killed upon reaching the castle.  This was a very real program at Hartheim and part of Action T4, an action of mass murder by involuntary euethenasia.  To add insult to the act, the parents were told that their children died at a later date of tuberculosis.  Through the writing the additional consequences of these killings are shown, the psychological effects on the employees forced to carry out the killings and dispose of the bodies as well as the people in the surrounding town showered in the ashes of the children.  I Am Germany is a powerful story of confronting the past and resilience in the face of evil. 
​
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​Polly Burgiss grew up on a  South Carolina Plantation.  She loved the land and playing with her two older brothers while her father worked tirelessly on building a railroad.  Polly's life changed when tragedy struck, Polly watched as her brother's were murdered and soon after, her father suffered a heart attack.  Polly's mother was left bereft, leaving Polly to be raised by her slave and mammy, Ona.  Polly soon took her education into her own hands and with the help of Ona's son, Ben and a friend in town, Flouride Calhoun, grew up into a capable woman.  Polly's life soon changes again as her mother dies and Polly is left to run the Plantation herself and war is on the horizon.  Polly soon chooses the only suitor who has shown interest, her neighbor, John Stone.  However; Polly has also been warned to stay away from John Stone by several people.  John's interest in Polly is for anything but love.  Polly takes on running the Plantation along with her trusted overseer and the slaves that she has grown up beside while John is at war.  Polly learns of the struggles of her slaves and the multiple betrayals that John has committed.  

The Earth Remains is an epic story following the life of Polly Burgiss before, during and after the Civil War.  This is a long story, but pulled me in immediately through Polly's strong point of view.  Polly's life is not easy and has continuous tragedy, but it does not overshadow the plight of her slaves.  Polly's father and overseer, Tom, were kind in their treatment of the slaves and Polly followed suit. This does not mean that any of the slaves' lives were easy and as Polly grows, she comes to recognize that kind treatment does not equal freedom.  I was continually amazed at Polly's resilience to bounce back after everything life threw at her.  The danger and suspense that John's secrets and actions created were carried throughout the second half of the story and eventually caused Polly to stand up for herself and her slaves.  I enjoyed that Ben, Ona, Cissy, Kate were fully developed characters that showed the point of view of slaves and the physical, emotional and mental toll slavery took on them. 


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.