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Author Review — Phyllis A. Whitney

While gathering information online about the novel “Spindrift,” which I reviewed a short time ago, I happened upon a fact that nearly made me drop my teeth. The author of that novel, Phyllis A. Whitney, is 103 years old and currently hard at work on her biography. It’s a rare treat to find someone who had reached that advanced age, and even more delightful to discover that they are still able to do the things they have loved doing throughout their lives. I decided then and there to do an author review on this remarkable woman. As I read, I … Continue reading →

Spindrift – Phyllis A. Whitney

Gothic romances have been around for decades, declining a bit recently in the wake of romantic suspense, but were very popular during the 1970’s and 1980’s. The premise is always the same: young woman finds herself embroiled in a mystery deep within the recesses of an old house which is overseen by a harsh master or mistress who dislikes the young woman. Her life is threatened in various different ways and she can’t get the help she needs because no one will believe her. Often, the villains try to make her out to be insane, and then when the nefarious … Continue reading →

Jennie – Susan Evans McCloud

“Jennie” is the story of a young woman who goes to work as a nanny in the town of Concord. As an aspiring writer, Jennie is entranced by walking the same streets as Louisa May Alcott, Thoreau, and Emerson. She enjoys the children in her care, but doesn’t so much enjoy their parents, who are obsessed with work and their position in society. As she looks for friendship in her new town, she meets the delightful Cornelia, who regales her with stories of a bygone era and quickly becomes a good friend. When Cornelia’s grandson Nigel comes for a visit, … Continue reading →

A Kiss before Dying (1956)

“A Kiss before Dying” is a murder mystery/suspense movie starring Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward as college lovers Bud and Dorie. When Dorie tells Bud she’s pregnant, he sees his dreams for his future go up in smoke. Dorie comes from a rich family, and his plan had been to worm his way into her father’s heart, become the darling of the family, and take over the financial interests of the family mine. But now, with Dorie pregnant, he knows he’ll never get on the father’s good side. (Too bad he didn’t think about that before . . . ) … Continue reading →

Murder on a Girls’ Night Out – Anne George

“Murder on a Girls’ Night Out” is a slightly irreverent but completely hysterical cozy mystery. Patricia Anne is our point of view character, a sixty-year-old woman of slight stature who is often called by her childhood nickname of “Mouse” by her sister, Mary Alice. Mary Alice is the exact opposite of Patricia Anne in every way. She’s big and brash, uses terrible grammar, and has lots of money. Together these women are an unstoppable team, reading each other’s minds and finishing the other’s sentences. This premiere book in the series won the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery Novel, and … Continue reading →

A Falcon for a Queen – Catherine Gaskin

A gothic novel set in Scotland, “A Falcon for a Queen” by Catherine Gaskin is the story of Kirsty Howard, a young woman who has traveled a long way to seek out the story behind her brother William’s death. She and her brother were raised in China, but he went to Scotland to seek out their grandfather and establish a relationship there. Not too long into his visit, he was killed, and Kirsty feels she must find out more – very little information was given. She has his letters, and a scroll he sent which contains strange Chinese symbols. She … Continue reading →

The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries – Emily Brightwell

After enjoying and reviewing “Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake” last week, I decided to go to the beginning of the series and read the book that started it all. Today’s selection is “The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries,” by Emily Brightwell. When we start this book, we can see that Mrs. Jeffries has already been working for the Inspector for a while and helped him with a few cases, so this first book in the series is not the first case she ever helped him solve. However, in this book we get more of a backstory on the major characters and … Continue reading →

Nine Coaches Waiting – Mary Stewart

We first discussed the genre known as Gothic when I reviewed “Spindrift” by Phyllis A. Whitney. Another author to write, and excel, in the Gothic genre is Mary Stewart, whose runaway hit “Nine Coaches Waiting” was hailed by critics of her time as one of the best novels to hit the shelves. Linda Martin is half-French, half-English. During the latter part of World War II, it became necessary for her and her mother to leave France, so she left behind the only home she had ever known and came to London. Both her parents passed away and she was raised … Continue reading →

The Last Suspect – Susan Evans McCloud

Inspector Callum MacGregor has been called out to investigate the murder of one Archibald Linton, businessman, playboy, and now, dead. Found in a glass-enclosed gazebo on his property, the only known person to have been on the premises that night was his business partner, a timid man named Clarence Thomas. From their first meeting, Callum can’t believe that a man such as Clarence could have committed this murder, and so he sets out to investigate every other possibility, further fueled by the need to protect Archibald’s daughter, a girl named Rosetti, now in the care of her spoiled step-mother. Meanwhile, … Continue reading →