To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower

 

We hear about Orville and Wilbur Wright, but we don't often hear about their sister Katharine. In To Slip the bonds of Earth Katharine must help her brothers find the lost plans for their flying machine. In order to do that she must solve the mystery of a murder while also navigating a very male dominated society that sets no value on a single woman, especially a strong-willed one like Katharine. 

I've really enjoyed author Amanda Flower's books. Which means I've really enjoyed her novels with "real" people in them. Her Emily Dickinson Mystery series and now this Mystery in the First Days of Flight featuring the Wright brothers and their sister Katharine. I love how the author incorporates history into the mystery that she is telling. I found the mystery in To Slip the Bonds of Earth solid and believable. I enjoyed learning a bit about Orville and Wilbur, but I especially enjoyed Katharine's character. There were a few quotes throughout the book that I found interesting or harsh or downright ticked me off! The first one is,

"Miss Wright," Randolph said, "When I want your opinion, I will ask for it. I can see why you are an old maid. No man would put up with the constant second-guessing you seem determined to inflict on everyone around you. If you do ever marry, you would surely send your unfortunate husband to an early grave." 

Ouch! I found that a bit harsh and was thinking seriously did men talk to women like that? But it truly fit in with Randolph's character!

"I could give her a whole host of reasons why Latin was an important language to learn. It helped students master English, for one."

I liked that one because I think the same can be said about reading, it helps a person get a grasp of the language and teaches them new things. I loved that teacher-side of Katharine's character. She truly cared about her students learning.

"Every woman had her secrets, including me."

I loved that last line of the book! Even though she was living in a male dominated society she was able to be herself and keep her own council. 

To Slip the Bonds of Earth was entertaining and educational and very well researched. I enjoyed it tremendously and am hoping that we will see more of Katharine and her brothers. 

The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts by Benedict Brown

 

This is book 6 in the series but they seem to not have to be read in order as each story can stand alone. I didn't feel like I was coming into the middle or anything and a small background was given so I didn't feel like I had missed anything in the character development of Christopher and his famous grandfather Lord Edgington. 

Lord Edgington kidnaps his grandson from his school and they are off to solve another mystery. Lord Edgington has received a plea to come help an elderly man who thinks someone in his family is trying to kill him. Could it be his new much younger wife? Or could it be his staff? Or could it be one of his 3 children? Unfortunately neither Christopher nor his grandfather are able to prevent the dastardly deed from happening, so now they truly do have a murder to solve!

I enjoyed the book and I will eventually go back and start at the beginning to see where it all started. Again, I didn't feel like I missed anything, but normally I like to start at the beginning of a series. I liked the humor that was dispersed throughout the story and I enjoyed the characters. The mystery kept me guessing for awhile and that was fun. A quick read that keeps the reader involved and entertained. 

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

 

This was my 4th book to read in the Mystery puzzle books: 

I read it years ago and of course have watched the movie. Still creepy, but I must admit not as creepy as the first time I read it when I was much younger and less jaded! ha! The character Hannibal Lecter is unforgettable. The relationship he forms with Clarice is interesting. The twisted head games he plays keeps the reader on edge. His ability to kill without even raising his pulse is unfathomable. A truly gripping story for anyone that loves horror/mystery/psychological thrillers. 

 

If The Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

 

I loved this twist on the classic tale Cinderella. Samantha Dearing's father is trying to find a match for her much to Samantha's dismay. On the night that her father throws a ball to introduce her to all of the eligible bachelors an intruder breaks into her father's study. What kind of thief though would stop to save a person from drowning? The only thing that identifies who the intruder could be was that he left a boot behind. 

Asher's family has been kicked out of the house they were living in by Samantha's father. But that hasn't stopped Asher from rescuing Sam when someone tries to kill her. Who is trying to kill Samantha, and why are they trying to kill her? As far as she knows she hasn't any enemies. Will Asher be able to figure out what is going on before another attempt is tried to rid Samantha from this earth? 

I loved the story and loved the relationship that Asher and Samantha developed. I also loved how Samantha had her world rocked by talking to her father and finding out his motives behind his actions rather than assuming she knew what he thought and why he did things. I loved how that relationship developed. Eli Dearing turned out to be a wise man and I liked his character too. I love author Karen Witemeyer's writing and her books so I definitely highly recommend IF THE BOOT FITS. 

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

 

Five students in detention. One dies. Now the other Four are being investigated for murder. Four young people who's lives are turned upside down by the events that follow. Did one of them kill their fellow student? 

As if high schoolers don't have a hard enough time finding their place among their fellow students add in a murder and this was quite a story. Lots of angst, lots of drama, lots of relationship issues make for a YA novel that will draw the reader in and keep the pages turning until the case is resolved. I found the characters interesting and true to form for the high school caste system that involves those who are popular and those who are not. I do intend to read the other two novels in this series to see where the author goes next. 

This was a book on the mystery book puzzle that I challenged myself to read for this year:

Crime and Cherry Pits by Amanda Flower

 

Shiloh has a booth at the Cherry Farm Market. The first time that the Bellamy Farm has ever been able to participate in the cherry festival held each year. Of course where Shiloh is it seems that murder soon happens! Meanwhile, Shiloh and her cousin are in the midst of a battle over the treasure that Shiloh found on her side of the Bellamy Farm. But when her cousin is a suspect in the murder Shiloh is determined to clear her name no matter what is going on in the family. 

This is book 4 in the Farm to Table series. I really like a cozy mystery. I like Shiloh's character. I also kind of like the fact that two guys are liking her and she is eventually going to have to choose one. I'm not normally for the love triangle, but I'm finding that both interests have their potential! Shiloh steadily whittles away at the clues and solves the murder. There were twists and turns along the way, but the murderer was not obvious and the suspects were many. I'm enjoying this series and thought that this book was a quick and entertaining read. I snuggled under my heated blanket and read it in a day! 

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

 

So at the beginning of this year(2024) I put together a puzzle:

I decided I wanted to read all of the books represented in this Mystery book puzzle. This is the second one I have read.

REVIEW

Alienist: a psychiatrist who assesses the competence of a defendant in a court of law.

In a way I guess I would call The Alienist a psychological mystery. The characters were:

An Alienist

A Reporter

A woman secretary

Two police detectives

The goal is to find out who is killing young children of the streets of New York City. Using Dr. Laszlo Kreizler's unorthodox technique of building a psychological profile of the killer John Moore(the reporter), Sara(the police secretary who wants to be the first woman police officer) and the two police detectives put together a profile that leads them right to the killer. Unfortunately there are hurdles to jump before the killer is caught. For he must be caught and not killed so that Dr. Kreizler can study him! But difficulties come from other avenues as well. There are powers that be that do not want the killer caught because it would be detrimental to their hold on their criminal activities. From crooked police officers, to mob bosses, to even the religious venues, all have a reason for the killer to continue doing his evil deeds. As the bodies mount and Kreizler, John, Sara and the detectives get closer the danger to themselves and those they are closest to mounts. Will they be able to stop a killer before he strikes again or before one of them gets hurt beyond repair? 

Soooo, an interesting story. That kind of drug on and on! Four hundred and eighty-eight pages to be exact! Whew! I enjoyed the way they built a psychological profile of the killer. The steps they took to find who was behind the murders. I liked some of the "real" characters that were represented, Theodore Roosevelt as the police commissioner, along with some of the mob bosses that were popular in "the day." The description of the seedy sides of New York City with what we would call child trafficking nowadays was interesting and also sad. I found the ending a bit unsatisfying, but for the most part it was a good read.