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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Tropical Depression in Books

Nov 12, 2021 (Updated Nov 12, 2021)  
Tropical Depression
Tropical Depression
C. Michele Dorsey | 2021 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Racing a Hurricane to Solve a Murder
Sabrina Salter has returned to St. John from a disastrous vacation to New England to find out that one of the seasonal employees she and her business partner, Henry, have hired has been murdered. The police are looking at Henry as the killer since the weapon had his initials on it. As the fallout from Sabrina’s vacation shows up on the island, Sabrina tries to find a killer. With Hurricane Irma bearing down on the island, can she do it?

Yes, there is a lot going on in this book, but it all fits together perfectly. Honestly, I can’t imagine this book without any of the elements. We get a logical conclusion to the mystery, and the other storylines allow the characters to grow. I did find some of Sabrina’s behavior a little irritating, but it also allowed for some good development. There were more typos than there should be in the book. Since this is more a traditional mystery, there is a smattering of foul language. Both are worth noting only in passing. The book makes good use of changing the point of view character to fully develop the characters and tell the story. Overall, I loved getting to spend time with Sabrina again. I’m hoping we get to see how she is fairing after the events of this book soon.
  
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ClareR (5681 KP) rated Babel: An Arcane History in Books

Feb 14, 2023  
Babel: An Arcane History
Babel: An Arcane History
R F Kuang | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Babel is a college in Oxford - the Royal Institute of Translation - where all of the languages in the world are spoken and learnt about. It’s also where all the power of the British Empire originates from. But not in the way that you would think.

Robin Swift is brought to England by a mysterious Englishman after he is orphaned in Canton. The Englishman educates him, and then sends Robin to Babel to continue his studies. But is Babel everything that Robin wants or expects it to be?

This truly imaginative novel looks at colonialism, the power of language, resistance and sacrifice.

I loved the narration as well, it really added to the story, I felt, particularly the footnotes that were inserted into the rest of the dialogue explaining pronunciation and etymology (I really liked these parts, more than is normal or socially acceptable, probably! 🤭). I’ll admit that there were some mispronunciations of the Oxford colleges which would have been easy to avoid (I have to admit to mainly learning how to pronounce them by watching University Challenge 😆).

If you love language, languages (I do!), fantasy and an alternative history, then this will really appeal to you.

I do feel that I should have finished the book having learnt at least one more language though. Ah well 🤷🏼‍♀️
  
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ClareR (5681 KP) rated Miss Aldridge Regrets in Books

Nov 13, 2023  
Miss Aldridge Regrets
Miss Aldridge Regrets
Louise Hare | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Miss Aldridge Regrets is a great murder mystery set on board the Queen Mary en route to New York in the 1930’s. And boy, does Miss Aldridge have some regrets!

When a man claiming to be the fixer for a man that her father used to work with in New York appears and offers her the Broadway role of a lifetime, Lena Aldridge can’t refuse. Especially as the husband of her best friend has died in rather unusual circumstances and she could easily be dragged into the aftermath.

Whilst on board the Queen Mary, Lena meets the Abernathy’s, a very wealthy American family. But all is not as it seems, and soon murder is committed on board, and Lena is left thinking that she is in danger too.

This is a novel dripping in glamour, and Lena isn’t always comfortable with that. She comes from a very different background. Everyone seems to be very accepting of her and her ‘Italian’ looks, but if the truth comes out to the Americans, her standing could be changed in an instant.

This was fast paced, and left me guessing up to the last page. The book ends with Lena in New York, so I’m looking forward to the next book to see just what she gets up to, and whether she will actually return to England.