February 2015
Carol's Latest Picks
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Moriarty
When Horowitz was officially appointed by the Conan Doyle estate in 2011 to "resurrect" Sherlock Holmes, he brought readers the bestselling thriller The House of Silk. Now in Moriarty, the author plunges the reader back into the complex world of Holmes and Professor James Moriarty, the "Napoleon of crime", to answer the question that has been asked for over one hundred years: What really happened when Holmes and his arch-enemy tussled above the Swiss Reichenbach Falls? Days following their waterfall encounter, Frederick Chase, a Pinkerton detective agent, and London's Scotland Yard inspector Athelney Jones team up to stop a criminal mastermind who claims he is Moriarty's successor. As the two collaborate in their search for a depraved mastermind, all things are not what they seem. This is an energized tale with foot chases through London, clever disguises, and all of the Sherlock legend readers could imagine. Horowitz resurrects Doyle's originals while bringing his own twisty style into his clever fresh look to please Sherlock fans. Thrilling and compelling with a stunning twist. (Harper, $26.99). Reviewed by Carol
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The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
If you should ask me to name the best book I have read this February, my answer, hands down, will be
The Nightingale. Sometimes a story grabs me and won't let go and that is the case with this novel which takes place during World War II about a young woman who created an escape route out of Nazi-occupied France for downed airmen, and her sister who saved Jewish children, both women putting themselves in harms way and making choices risking their lives to survive. The author beautifully captures an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. These two sisters, separated by years and ideals, find their own dangerous path toward survival. This is a story of life, the ravages of war, and the toll of keeping secrets--packed with action and emotion. If there is a 10-star given for a recent novel of historical fiction, The Nightingale earns it from me. (St. Martin's Press, $27.99). Reviewed by Carol
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The Ice-Cold Heaven
by Mirko Bonne
History books have told much of Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition across the Antarctic between the years 1914 and 1916 while the Great War raged throughout Europe, about the crew that would be the first to cross the continent on foot. But here the author embarks on a storyteller's adventure of his own, freely inventing the characters and events in a novel while much still corresponds to fact. Richly imagined, this gripping story is a classic adventure that traces Shackleton's legendary voyage and explores the relationships between the men who were lost to the world for 635 days, Colorfully told through the eyes of a 17-year-old Welsh stowaway on the British ship Endurance, this is a great reading experience for those who enjoy travel adventure, but may want to read an exciting fiction novel. (Berkeley $16.95). Reviewed by Carol
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A Memory of Violets
by Hazel Gaynor
Victorian London, 1912. 20-year-old Tilly Harper leaves her Lake District family home and travels to London to become the assistant housemother at the Violet House, one of Albert Shaw's training homes caring for flower girls--orphaned and afflicted children who have lived on the streets selling posies of violets and watercress to survive. Upon her arrival, she discovers a wooden box in her bedroom wardrobe filled with trinkets and a notebook diary with dried flowers pressed between the pages, entries dated from the 1880s written by orphaned Flora Flynn who died of a broken heart after she was separated from her sister Rosie. Moved by Florrie's writing describing the pain and emotional anguish she endured during her young brief life, Tilly decides to make an attempt to discover what happened to Rosie. The story is full of twists and surprises that lead a determined and caring Tilly into unexpected places. Readers who enjoyed The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh won't want to miss A Memory of Violets. I highly recommend this as a possible choice for book clubs. (William Morrow, $14.99). Reviewed by Carol
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The Chessmen 
by Peter May
In this dramatic conclusion to the author's Lewis Trilogy, readers find ex- Detective Inspector Fin Macleod returned and settled on the Isle of Lewis in his Hebridean childhood home. Fin has been hired by a local landowner to provide security for his estate, seemingly simple work for a man of his experience. But when Fin is drawn into an investigation of illegal activity on the property, he is brought into contact with a local poacher and former school friend, Whistler Macaskill. Just as he is connecting with happier days of his teenage years, Fin and Whistler witness a "bog burst", a phenomenon of nature that drains a lock of water. But what lies at the bottom inside of a mud-encased light aircraft that disappeared seventeen years earlier finds both men knowing what is inside: the body of a friend and a secret Whistler has possibly been hiding from Fin and everyone else on the island. Is Fin prepared for what this discovery will mean for him and which may bring shadows of his past back to haunt his present. The Chessmen takes readers into a forward and backward thriller leading to a breathtaking climax. This trilogy is tightly plotted and set in rugged island landscapes, making the novels recommended for suspense fans to read, beginning with The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man. (Quercus, $26.99). Reviewed by Carol
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