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West Indian Immigrants: A Black Success Story?

Suzanne Model

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Book

West Indian immigrants to the United States fare better than native-born African Americans on a wide...

Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Vanished: True Tales of Mysterious Disappearances in Books

Jun 18, 2018

<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Vanished: True Tales of Mysterious Disappearances by Elizabeth MacLeod is a non-fiction book for middle grade readers. The book discusses six stories about mysterious disappearances in chronological order. It starts with the 17th-century in North Carolina with the settlement of Roanoke Island, and ends with a 1990 art heist from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum.

The author could have taken on a negative tone with the subject but instead MacLeod is enthusiastic. The upbeat tone draws the reader into each mystery. Each story is filled with interesting facts and information.With each story there are pictures within the design.

The design of the book is uncluttered, featuring sidebars and appropriate images. The design also includes historical photographs, maps, and posters. These visuals add to the overall effectiveness of the book.

Each story begins with a factionalize vignette, which provides some background information about the disappearance. The ending of each section could have ended with a more smooth conclusion instead of abruptly. The combination of MacLeod’s storytelling and the resources included at the back of the book are sure to engage.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kudos

Epitaphs: A Dying Art

Samuel Fanous

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Epitaphs are a unique artform. In previous centuries they were regarded as an opportunity to...

Lindsay (1706 KP) rated When I Meet You (Tree Of Life #3) in Books

May 9, 2020

When I Meet You is well done. It another story about genealogy. We are brought in with Jillian being with her dad on a trip to Denver. She does not know why. But her reaction to the steamer trunk brings us to the start of Jillian's journey in finding out who the owner is.

I enjoy the way, the author brings the past to life and the future together. Though she does it with clues given to her. We will not be able to solve the mystery until the end. Jillian also is pulled to look at her family history or at least into the steamer trunk that she was given by her mother.

The timelines go back and forth between the 1909 storyline and the present-day timeline. Could have Jillian found someone special. Norlan seems to be more occupied to feed two hundred people. Will he be able to create a menu for that many people. Will get the help he needs as well.

There are historical events. The story is mostly on the train from Ohio to Denver. Pinkerton seems to be the one mostly corresponding that is sent to a woman that is the owner of a trunk that was abandon at Denver's Union Station. Whatever happened to the owner?

Kudos

Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders

Tessa Arlen

5.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Charming and feisty Poppy Redfern stumbles into murder in this exciting new World War II historical...

A Dream of Death

Connie Berry

9.0 (3 Ratings) Rate It

Book

On a remote Scottish island, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton wrestles with her own past while...

Fiction Mystery Thriller

Last Stop in Brooklyn

Lawrence Levy

7.3 (3 Ratings) Rate It

Book

It's the summer of 1894, and an infidelity case has brought PI Mary Handley to a far corner of...

Mystery Historical Fiction Fiction

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated The Twist and Shout Murder in Books

Feb 4, 2022

I’m Going to Shout About This Twisty Debut

It’s 1962 in Camden, Texas, and Dot Morgan is almost done with her secretarial schooling. But she’s taking on helping her father with a run for the local city council. However, the election hits a snag when her father’s opponent dies. The police think it was a tragic accident, but Dot thinks something else is going on. The trouble is, if she convinces the police that it was murder, will she and her father become the top suspects?

It did take me a couple of chapters to get fully into this book, mainly because I felt like I was trying to remember all the characters and their relationships to each other. But once I got that sorted out, I was hooked. There are plenty of complications for Dot to deal with, and I enjoyed seeing how she dealt with everything. She is strong. There are plenty of great characters, including a potential love interest. That time in history is also brought to life, including the changes society was going through. I already can’t wait to see these characters again. If you are looking for a fun historical mystery, you’ll be glad you picked up this one.