Hello Fellow Readers! I have been amiss lately but with good reason. The Retired Book Lady went back to work for 7 days, to help out the Virtual School with report cards. But I am back! In that time I finished reading two great books which I am happy to tell you about!
The Windsor Knot
By S.J. Bennett
The premise of the story is that a suspicious death of a guest has occurred at Windsor Castle. The Queen becomes informally involved in solving the crime through the assistance of the Assistant Private Secretary. This is a very charming story and you get a real sense of what the Queen and her family might be like. The story is well written and the plot is entertaining. If you are a fan of The Crown or Downtown Abbey, you just might enjoy this book.
3 1/2 stars
Available now everywhere
The Shut Away Sisters
By: Suzanne Goldring
Suzanne Goldring has once again written an intriguing story that moves in and out of two time periods to tell us this tale of family and sacrifice.
This story takes place in London during the beginning of the first world war. The book highlights the difficulties many families faced during this time including, the loss of loved ones in the war, hunger and the many fatalities due to the Spanish Flu. It also illustrates for the reader, the resilience and personal struggles that many overcame to protect their surviving family members.
As in her previous books, the author weaves a story that alternates between the past and the present day. We meet Kate an ambitious young woman working in media in a corporate London office. At the insistence of her father, she moves into her Great Aunt Florrie's and Great Aunt Edith's house to escape a bad relationship. Great Aunt Edith has been dead for a few years and Great Aunt Florrie has just passed away. Kate is grateful for the accommodations and as she starts to catalogue and dispense with the various items in the house, she begins to wonder about the previous occupants and sets out to learn more.
When Florrie's mother and father pass away, she is left to take care of her younger brother and her older sister. Florrie soon realizes that something is not quite right with her sister Edith. She leaves the house at odd times of the day and does not return until quite late. Florrie vows to find out what is going on and protect her sister even at a great personal cost.
For me, this story was a page-turner right from the beginning. I found myself drawn into the lives of these women and wanted to learn more about their stories. Suzanne Goldring is very adept at creating a warm and engaging tale that gives you a window into the lives of ordinary people living in these very interesting historical time periods.
This is not the first book of Suzanne Goldring's that I have read. I was so pleased to be granted a copy of this ARC from Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review. I have to say, I love her writing and have been completely captivated by her stories. Please check out her books on Amazon.
This book will be published on June 29, 2021 and will be available on Amazon at a great price of $4.99!
4 stars
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