Review: Too Close to the Falls

Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Unrated.

Review: The Secrets of Roscarbury Hall

The Secrets of Roscarbury Hall by Ann O'Loughlin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this as a buddy read on a book group and I wanted to really like it. Unfortunately it fell short of my expectations.

The book in general had very good bones but the character development was slow and confusing. It tended to jump around and instead of concentrating on the important issue in the book, it spent a lot of time discussing two sisters who were not speaking. I felt that time spent that way could have been put to much better use.

Sisters Ella and Roberta O'Callaghan haven't spoken for decades, torn apart by a dark family secret from their past. They both still live in the family's crumbling Irish mansion, communicating only through the terse and bitter notes they leave for each other in the hallway. But when their way of life is suddenly threatened by bankruptcy, Ella tries to save their home by opening a café in the ballroom – much to Roberta's disgust.

As the café begin to thrive, the sisters are drawn into a new battle when Debbie, an American woman searching for her birth mother, starts working at the Ballroom Café. Debbie has little time left but as she sets out to discover who she really is and what happened to her mother, she is met by silence and lies at the local convent. Determined to discover the truth, she begins to uncover an adoption scandal that will rock both the community and the warring sisters.

Review: Bono: The Amazing Story of a Rescue Cat Who Inspired a Community

Bono: The Amazing Story of a Rescue Cat Who Inspired a Community by Helen Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Helen Brown arrived in New York for a much-anticipated visit, a fellow animal lover talked her into fostering a shelter cat. Helen visualized a sweet-natured cuddler who blinked and dozed a lot. What she got at Manhattan's Bideawee shelter was a wide-eyed and unpredictable Persian with a punked-out haircut and a feisty attitude.

Bono had become homeless during Hurricane Sandy, had survived a serious infection, and needed daily medications. As a "special needs" cat, he was an unlikely candidate for adoption. But as affection between them grew, Helen resolved to see that Bono found his forever home. She didn't know that he would change her life in ways she never dreamed possible and teach her lessons she would cherish ever after. Just as this sweet, beleaguered, and hopeful guy deserved a fresh start, Helen too was ready for new beginnings. And so began a heartwarming, uplifting, lasting kind of love .

I started reading this book because I love cats and have had an angel for many years, sadly now has passed. A new little fellow has now found his way into our lives.

Review: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.

Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies.

In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling.

Excellent story. 

Review: Honor

Honor by Thrity Umrigar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In this riveting and immersive novel, bestselling author Thrity Umrigar tells the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide.

Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her.

In this tender and evocative novel about love, hope, familial devotion, betrayal, and sacrifice, Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.

An excellent read.

Review: Best in Snow

Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this Christmas mystery, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are on the beat after a body turns up in the snow and a journalist is the prime suspect.

Christmas has come early to the town of Paterson, New Jersey, in the form of a snowstorm that dumps two feet of snow on the ground. Lawyer Andy Carpenter likes snow – white Christmas and all that – but it can cause problems for the walks he takes his dogs on every day.

When Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, goes to play in the snow and instead discovers a body, Andy ends up on the phone with the local newspaper editor. The murder victim is Mayor Alex Oliva, who had an infamous relationship with the newspaper. Last year a young reporter published an expose, and Oliva had him fired for libel. Now, the young reporter – and prime suspect – is in need of a lawyer.

Andy agrees to take the case, though it’s not looking good this holiday season. The evidence is piling up faster than the snow in Best in Snow, the next Christmas mystery in the bestselling Andy Carpenter series from David Rosenfelt.

Review: The Games Keeper

The Games Keeper by Jack Benton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had hoped to like this book a lot more than I did. I found it show and repetitive. The main character, Slim Hardy is a private detective. He is an alcoholic and throughout the whole book, which was not a long book, he was repeatedly falling off the wagon to the point that it just became boring and a way to fill pages of the story.

Slim is hired by someone who is being blackmailed by a person that he believes is dead. Slim's job is strictly to discover if that person, Dennis, is actually dead. There are some twists and turns but in my opinion they are not believable. 

I have the whole series to read and am told that they are excellent reads so am hopeful that I will fall in love with the remainder.