The Last Bookshop in London (Novel of WWII #1)

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin is the first book in her Novels of WWII series. 

In August of 1939, Grace Bennett and her best friend Viv are moving to London. They will live with Grace's mother's best friend, Mrs. Weatherford, and her son Colin. 

While Viv has a letter of reference that allows her to apply for the job she wants at a department store, Grace does not. Her uncle, whose shop she practically ran, refused to write one. Mrs. Weatherford has an idea, she will convince / cajole the owner of the bookstore to hire Grace for six months.

While Grace has shop experience, she is not a reader. She does not understand the appeal. 

Martin has written a wonderful story that takes place as London prepares for possible air raids and takes us through to the conclusion of the war. 

This is a great read to take with you on vacation. Reserve it as your local library today 

Martin, Madeline. (2021). The Last Bookshop in London. Toronto: Hanover Square Press.

Matrix

Matrix by Lauren Groff is about a twelfth century young woman, half-sister to the Queen of England, who was exiled to an abbey to live among the nuns.

Marie, half-sister to Queen Eleanor, only spent half a year at court when Eleanor sent to her live at an abbey in the county - far from court. 

When Marie arrived, at seventeen years old, the abbey was a poor and gloomy place. Born in the north of France, orphaned, moved to court and then exiled, Marie knew little of religion when she arrived at the abbey. 

Over time, Marie will learn to love the abbey, the sisters, and her life. As she is promoted, she does what she can to strengthen the abbey. She changes rules as she goes until she has a fortress of safety in a time when women had few safe places in the world.

Though not interested in the time period, Groff's excellent story telling had me right away. This is a story based on a real historical figure in early England / France. A woman who had a great influence on her community and country.

Groff, Lauren. (2021). Matrix. New York: Riverhead Books.

The Rose Code

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is about the women who broke codes for England during World War II and the person who betrayed them.

Bletchley Park recruited from anyone who might be able to help break codes - mathematicians, puzzle aficionados, men and women.

Three code breakers who were inseparable during the war are brought back together in 1947 when one of them receives a coded message in the mail - using a cypher they used to pass notes during the war. 

Osla, a German speaker is a debutante who dated Prince Phillip. Mab is from Shoreditch and took a secretarial course to get out and help her family. Beth is a master at crosswords and seeing patterns.

They are called to crack one more code - one that will save the lives of two of them. 

Quinn is a storytelling mage. Her historical fiction puts the reader right in the thick of it. Choose any of her books and you will be up well past your bedtime thoroughly engrossed.

Quinn, Kate. (2021). The Rose Code. New York: William Morrow.  

The Clockmaker's Daughter

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton is a beautiful mystery / ghost story.

In 1862 a group of artists spend the summer at a house in the countryside on the Upper Thames, a house called Birchwood Manor. What is supposed to be a time of creativity is ruined by a murder and disappearance.

150 years later an archivist, Elodie Winslow, receives a satchel found in a closet. It contains a sketchbook and a sepia photo of a beautiful woman. The two do not seem to be related and the satchel is from a later era. One of the sketches in the book is of a house that looks exactly like the house is a story Elodie's mother told her as a child.

Weaving together the two time periods, Morton weaves a tale of mystery, family secrets and a beautiful manor by the river. This is a beautiful story, read it today.

Morton, Kate. (2018). The Clockmaker's Daughter. New York: Atria Books.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4)

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym for JK Rowling) is the forth book in the mystery series featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.

Cormoran is a private investigator based in London. He was military police until an explosion took part of his leg. Now he has a small agency that has been in the news a few times. His partner, Robin Ellacott, started as a temp. She was so helpful and showed a great brain and an interest in solving mysteries.

While Robin is out for her honeymoon, a man comes into the office who makes the temporary secretary nervous. Strike returns to the office to find Billy, who has a nervous twitch and has not bathed for a while. But his story is so detailed is seems credible.

Billy runs away before Strike can convince him to give them contact information. When Strike finds Billy's brother at an anti-Olympics meeting, the man is convinced that a government Minister sent him to harass him.

Then next day, that same Minister hires Strike to find out who is blackmailing him and to get some dirt on them to keep them quiet. Robin goes undercover in the Parliament. And she and Strike get a glimpse of what the upper classes do to each other.

Galbraith is a great writer and the main characters, Robin and Cormoran, are two of my favorites.

Galbraith, Robert. (2018). Lethal White. New York: Mulholland Books.

Life After Life

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is an amazing book. Read it now!

Ursula was born on a snowy night in February 1910 to Hugh and Sylvie Todd. She is the third Todd child, to be followed by two more.

But there are complications. Ursula is born with the umbilical cord around her neck - blocking the flow of oxygen. She dies.

Again, February 1910 on a snowy night - Ursula Todd is born and the doctor arrives in time to save her.

And so her life goes. Either a divine intervention resets Ursula's life so that she lives, or we are seeing one of the possibilities - alternate timelines - of her life.

Ursula lives in a fascinating time in western history. Her father, Hugh, will fight in WWI. England, and the lives of everyone in it, will be greatly affected by World War II a few years later. Siblings Pamela and Teddy, aunt Izzie and Ursula's parents live through good times and bad - with the decisions Ursula makes bearing more weight that any of them would think.

I cannot say much else without major spoilers. This is one of the best books I have read. The writing is excellent, the storytelling superb and the twist - the thing that makes this book absolutely unique - combine to make it a must read. Fans of writers like Lauren Groff, AnneMarie MacDonald or Sarah Waters will especially love it.

Atkinson, Kate. (2013). Life After Life. New York: Back Bay Books.

Journey to Munich (Maisie Dobbs #12)

Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear is the twelfth book in her historical mystery series featuring Maisie Dobbs.

It is 1938. Maisie Dobbs is back in London after time spent in Spain, once again being a nurse in a war. She is still recovering from a personal loss. When she returns to London, she is not sure where she belongs. Her old flat is rented out and her house has too many memories. She finds herself walking toward her old office when she encounters a man with whom she used to work.

Robert MacFarlane is no longer with Scotland Yard. He now works for the Secret Service. And he has a job for which he needs Maisie's help. Having no plans of her own, Maisie agrees to a meeting.

The German government has been holding a British man in one of their prisons - at Dachau. They have agreed to release him, but only to a relative. Unfortunately, the man's only relative - his daughter - is not well enough to travel. And she does (slightly) resemble Maisie. The man is a boffin, or engineer, and England needs him for the likely war with Germany. Luckily, the Germans do not know how valuable an asset they have captured.

Maisie will come in contact with the Nazi machine, in a city cowed by fear. On top of her assignment, she will be asked by a family friend to look in on his daughter who is rumored to be in Munich, and ask her to come home - a request that will put Maisie in more danger as she is going not as herself but as Edwina Donat.

Winspear is an amazing writer. Of the one hundred plus books I read each year, this is one of my favorite series. Maisie Dobbs is one of the best protagonists in fiction. Read this series from the beginning. Read it now! Go on, run to your library or bookstore and get started!

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2016). Journey to Munich. New York: Harper.

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman is the first book in her series featuring Lady Helen Wrexhall in regency England.

It is 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is about to be presented to the queen and enter British society as an adult. Helen and her brother are being raised by her aunt and uncle after their parents death. Helen's aunt is hoping the stain of Helen's mother does not limit her chances at a good marriage. Her mother was accused of treason.

Two men notice her as soon as she is presented. Her brother's best friend - a match that would rank Helen so high she would be in line for the crown. And a distant cousin who is trying to find his way back into society after being accused of killing his wife.

Goodman has taken regency England and added a new element in this alternate history series. Hidden in the world Lady Helen is entering is another layer - Deceivers who feed on people and the Reclaimers who have to protect society from them. This is a great start to a wonderful series!

Goodman, Alison. (2016). The Dark Days Club. New York: Viking.

The Renegade

The Renegade by Amy Dunne is a post-plague dystopian novel.

The Red Death has been killing millions of people. Alex is the last in her family who is not sick. Before he became ill, her father trained her in how to survive - including getting her the best equipment and teaching her how to shoot.

No Alex is on the move, trying to avoid people like her father recommended. But when going through a city she hears voices and gets caught. After getting out of a dangerous situation, she has gained a dog. She didn't realize how lonely she was until she met Paddy.

When an infection knocks her out, she come is nursed back to health by Murphy. She is, at first, afraid that he will be like the men in the city but Murphy is a good guy. Once settled, they travel well together.

Other survivors are living at an abandoned Army camp. It has been named Rapture's Haven and is run by a cult leader, Elijah, who has set back the women's rights movement to the stone age. Once people are found and taken to camp they remain there. Evelyn Bennett is the camp's doctor. As such, you would think she had some say because of her expertise, but that is not the case.

When Alex is brought to camp, she and Evelyn are drawn to each other. But in a camp where the doctrine is procreation, it is a dangerous attraction.

Dunne has written a novel with the feel of McCarthy's The Road, but from the point of view of a single, queer woman traveling alone.

Dunne, Amy. (2015). The Renegade. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Rivals in the City (The Agency #4)

Rivals in the City by YS Lee is the fourth book in her Agency historical mystery series featuring Mary Quinn.

It is 1860 in London and Mary Quinn finished her last assignment with the Agency nine months ago. She has started her own detective firm with James Easton and they are taking case.

She is approached by the head of the Agency about a case - a follow up to Mary's very first case. Mr. Thorold is serving a life sentence in prison and is ill. His wife fled England under suspicion and has not been heard from since. She may return to see him before he dies.

Mary is to chance an encounter with their daughter, Angelica, to whom she is a lady's companion (as she was disguised in her first case). If her mother is captured it will mean one less evil schemer on the streets.

Lee has created a wonderful series set in a fascinating time in history. Mary Quinn is a wonderful character who passes for English while learning more about her heritage and her Chinese father's past. Fans of the adult series Maisie Dobbs will love this younger heroine.

Lee, Y.S. (2014). Rivals in the City. New York: Candlewick Press.

The Paying Guests

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters is an historical crime novel set in 1922 London.

The widow Mrs. Wray and her adult daughter Frances find themselves in financial trouble after Mr. Wray passes away. It is not seemly for women of their class to work, so they have decided to take in lodgers. Most of the upstairs of the house has been converted into a suite of rooms - bedroom, parlor and kitchen - to accommodate the young married couple about to move in.

Lilian and Leonard Barber are moving away from his parent's house into their own space. Leonard, as part of the clerk class that will become the emerging middle class, works for an insurance house. Lilian spends her time decorating their rooms with an eclectic mix of items from cultures around the world.

Though Frances thinks of the Barbers merely as a source of income, an unlikely friendship forms between Frances and Lilian. A bond grows as they spend more time together - a bond that will lead to unexpected consequences.

Waters is a masterful story teller. Her historical fiction takes readers back in time in the way of few other writers. Start reading one of her books today - you will be hooked.

Waters, Sarah. (2014). The Paying Guests. New York: Riverhead Books.

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (Maggie Hope #4)

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal is the fourth book in her Maggie Hope series.

After working her way from the Prime Minster's typist to a spy who was dropped in Germany, Maggie Hope is back in the UK and recovering from her mission. She has been teaching potential spies in Scotland. And spending a lot of time by herself trying to come to terms with what she did in Germany.

When Maggie gets an invitation to see her friend Sarah in the ballet in Edinburgh she decides she would be terrible company. But after a training incident her old teacher sends her to Edinburgh anyway. And it is a good thing he did - three of the ballerinas are ill, including Sarah.

While Maggie talks her way into an investigation, forces in Japan plan an attack on the United States - who have still declined to join the war.

MacNeal has created a great character in Maggie Hope. Set in a full time in our history, the Maggie Hope series is filled with espionage, adventure, friendship and hope. MacNeal is a master. Start reading the series today!

MacNeal, Susan Elia. (2014). The Prime Minister's Secret Agent. New York: Bantam Books.

365 Days (365 #1)

365 Days by K.E. Payne is a story in journal form.

Clementine Atkins, Clem or Clemmie to her friends, keeps a diary. Each year starts on January 1 and follows the calendar to the end of the year. Clem is sixteen. She lives in England and attends high school. Her best friend is Alice.

Clem's diary this year will be a little different. It will focus a lot on relationships. Her first date with Ben, a boy who she guesses she likes, her crush on J who doesn't know she exists, and the new girl at school Hannah Harrison.

Payne has created a character with whom readers will identify. Clem is trying to figure out where she fits in the world and how to navigate the very new relationships in her life. Though in a diary format the story is dynamic and humorous, plus sweet and serious.

Payne, K.E. (2011). 365 Days. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Publishers.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Maggie Hope #1)

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal is the first book in her series set during WWII in London featuring Maggie Hope - a brilliant woman with a head for math, puzzles and codes.

Maggie Hope was upset when her Aunt Edith told her she had to postpone graduate school at MIT to sell her grandmother's house in England. She did not even know she had a grandmother. The only family she had ever known was the aunt who raised her after her parents were killed in an auto accident.

Now Maggie has made London her home. And though it is below her skill level, when a friend offers her a job as one of Prime Minister Churchill's secretaries, she takes it. With the war in Europe Maggie is thrown into the stream of information flowing through No. 10 Downing Street.

Capturing life in London during World War II, MacNeal has created a wonderful series. Maggie Hope is a strong, compelling character who readers will follow through anything MacNeal writes for her. The Maggie Hope series feels like a cross between Jacqueline Winspears' Maisie Dobbs and PBS's The Bletchley Circle. Great espionage; great historical fiction.

MacNeal, Susan Elia. (2012). Mr. Churchill's Secretary. New York: Bantam Books.

Hild (Light of the World #1)

Hild by Nicola Griffith is the first book in her Light of the World trilogy about Saint Hild of Whitby who played a large role in Brittan in the Middle Ages.

Readers are introduced to Hild as a young child. Her mother had a dream that said Hild would the Light of the World, a seer for her king. Her uncle, king Edward of Northunbria, heeds this prophecy and uses Hild to help plan attacks on other kingdoms.

Hild is a bright child who can see the patterns in things and often comes to conclusions before they are obvious to others. She has visions and sees omens that guide her advice. One of the patters she sees is that Christianity is coming to Brittan. It will be a major force in the politics as some convert and others resist.

Volume one of the trilogy sees Hild into adulthood. She is a strong character, more so for a woman of her time period. She is surrounded by characters that are brought to life by the magic of Griffith's words. 

Based on historical research and using real people from history as characters, Griffith has created a novel of Brittan in the 600s - a time of many kings, knights, superstition, and political intrigue. Hild reads like an epic fantasy (as many of them are set in a Middle Ages-like worlds) and shows life in the seventh century. The beginning of the book is a steep learning curve of names, different languages, and some confusion, but it is worth the time to read through the beginning to an amazing story. Hild is as much a legend as Joan of Arc, though less well known. Griffith brings her alive and makes readers care about her and the people around her.

Griffith, Nicola. (2013). Hild. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Wildthorn

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland is an historical fiction novel about a girl who read too much - as it lead to her being locked in a mental institution.

Louisa Cosgrove wants to be a doctor. But in Victorian England girls did not become doctors. Wisdom of the time said that girls who read too much would become mad. They would reject their place as mothers and wives and possible even develop the idea that they were men. Louisa's father supports her. He is a doctor and the person giving her books to study.

Louisa thinks she has convinced her father to let her attend the London School of Medicine for Women. When her father becomes ill, she will have to convince her brother Tom to let her attend. And Tom does not think women can or should become doctors.

The next thing she knows, Louisa is being sent to live with the Woodvilles - a wealthy family looking for a companion for their daughter. But when the carriage arrives at a large imposing building, it is not a family home but an asylum for women. And the paperwork says she is Lucy Childs who has suffered a breakdown.Louisa is not sure how she ended up at the Wildthorn asylum, but she must find a way out - or at the very least a way to survive.

Eagland has written a rich historical fiction novel with a lovable character and a twisted plot. Readers will not see how Louisa can get out of her situation, but root for her with every page until they discover the key. Great novel.

Eagland, Jane. (2009). Wildthorn. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Leaving Everything Most Loved (Maisie Dobbs #10)

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear is the tenth book in her Maisie Dobbs series about a private detective and psychologist in early 1900s London. The Maisie Dobbs series is wonderful and all mystery and historical fiction readers will love it.

Usha Pramal left India with the British family she worked for as a governess. But a couple of months ago, someone murdered her. Scotland Yard made little progress in the case guessing it may have been racially motivated. When Usha's brother came to London a mutual friend recommended Maisie to look into the matter.

It seems that Usha Pramal was no longer living with the family that brought her to England. She was living in a hostel with other Indian women who had come over as nannies. It appeared she was trying to earn enough wage cleaning homes to pay her way back to India. But there is always more to a story and Maisie's quest for the truth will lead her many places and possibly create a wanderlust that makes her want to travel to India herself.

Winspear does an amazing job of combining a great mystery and a historically accurate time frame. In 1934 there were already those in England keeping an eye on Germany and preparing to do their part to protect their country if the hints of Hitler's plan were accurate. These and other elements allow the Maisie Dobbs novels to suck readers in and capture them completely. Read this series!

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2013). Leaving Everything Most Loved. New York: Harper.

The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7)

The Mapping of Love and Death is the seventh book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.

Maisie Dobbs is an investigator and psychologist in early 20th century London. In her current case, the body of an American mapmaker is discovered in a farmer's field in France - along with the rest of the group of surveyors - who died in the Great War. A packet of letters with his body makes his parents think that there was a woman who knew him during the war. They would like to find her to hear stories of the last months of their son's life.

When Michael Clifton's parents travel to London to engage Maisie, the information they bring sets her on a path that will follow the life of Michael Clifton from the land he purchased in California to his decision to enlist in the British army as a mapmaker to his time in France when he met a woman with whom he fell in love.

During the course of her investigation, Maisie must endure the passing of her mentor - the man who guided her education and career from the time she was a maid in the house of Lord Compton. And for the first time since the Great War Maisie will find herself falling in love.

Winspear weaves a great mystery surrounded by changes in Maisie Dobbs - a character fans have fell in love with six books ago. Dobbs is a compassionate, loving woman with insight that most of us do not gain in our lives. And it is a joy to continue to read of her live in Winspear's books.

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2010). The Mapping of Love and Death. New York: HarperCollins.

A Spy in the House (The Agency #1)

A Spy in the House is the first book in the Agecny series by Y.S. Lee. The series is also known as the Mary Quinn Mysteries.

At the age of twelve, Mary Lang was sentenced to hang for being a thief. Instead of being taken to the gallows, she is rendered unconscious and taken to a school. Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls is a place for girls who could not normally afford an education. It is also a place to train female investigators.

When Mary turns seventeen she joins the Agency. Her first assignment is a simple one. She is the secondary agent on the case, and as such, only needs to observe the household while playing the part of a lady's companion.

Mary is more ambitious than that. She takes it upon herself to use her previous skills as a thief and find more information. Her snooping gets her caught by someone else who is investigating the family.

Together Mary and James will find every secret the family keeps - or die trying.

Lee has created a great series that shows readers London in the 1850s. She has found a way to show the roles of women at the time while creating a way for her characters to break out of those proscribed roles. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Lee, Y.S. (2010). A Spy in the House. New York: Candlewick Press.

A Gentleman's Honor (Bastion Club #2)

A Gentleman's Honor by Stephanie Laurens is the second book in the Bastion Club series.

In the year 1816, Alicia Carrington, her sister Adriana, and her three younger brothers move to London for the season to find Adriana a suitable husband. Alicia, being a widow, will play the role as chaperone - hoping that as a widow she will be left out of the matchmaking schemes.

When Anthony Blake, Viscount of Torrington, sees Alicia he does not care that she is a widow. She is the woman for him and nothing, including social rules, will keep him from winning her heart.

Laurens has created a fun series of historical romances set in the haut ton of early London. Each bachelor in the series tries to keep the hooks of mothers, aunts and sisters out of their decision-making process.

Laurens, Stephanie. (2003). A Gentleman's Honor. New York: Avon Books.