eyes.2c Reviews

Swordheart  by T. Kingfisher  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had so much trouble controlling my laughter especially as it was  3am  in the morning and my partner was sound asleep. 😂🤣😂 Halla had to her complete surprise inherited her great uncle Silas’ estate. Silas’ sister Malva is not happy. So much so that Malva has imprisoned Halla in her attic bedroom until she consents to marry Malva’s son, Cousin Alver, he of the clammy hands. Looking around for a way to escape and finding none, she resorts to trying to stab herself using an old sword. She draws the sword a few inches when with a flash of electric blue light, out pops the sword’s resident guardian who will protect whomever draws the sword. He’s shocked because Halla’s scantily clothes, and Halla because, well, could this day get any worse? Halla becomes garrulous. She asks questions when she faces danger. Most people ignore her and think she’s empty headed. However it seems Sarkis is now sworn to defend her, garrulous or not....

Murder at the Orpheus Theatre  (A Tate and Bell Mystery #4) by Irina Shapiro   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This title in the Gemma Tate and Inspector Sebastian Bell Victorian mysteries started off rather dramatically where the lead actors in the play, Romeo and Juliet, didn’t arise from the death scene. Wow! Turmoil is everywhere throughout this title, deaths pile up and Gemma becomes a tad resentful because Sebastian has to warn her off, due to the attitude towards her of his Scotland Yard boss. Not that Gemma took much notice. Their first fight! Gemma investigates on her own in places it hasn’t occurred to Sebastian to look. When Gemma’s life is in danger, Sebastian doesn’t hesitate. Moments before I’d thought, ‘My goodness! How’s Gemma going to get out of this! Where are you Sebastian!’ Shapiro highlights the social issues of the age, women in danger from their husbands, children thrown out on the street, the attitudes of the more powerful. Old acquaintances are renewed. Sebastian faces ch...

An Island of Suspects  (Brittany Mystery #10) by Jean-Luc Bannalec            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A body has been found on Belle-Île, one of the islands off the coast of Brittany.  Commissaire Georges Dupin (who hates travelling by boat) is called to investigate. A slow start that builds in tension and with many questions. Dupin assures the reader that, “It was always like that during a case: time lost all measure and structure.” Dupin‘s reflections on the islands are superb. They assault and assuage the senses—color, foods, aromas, sparkling waters, the geographic formations, the perfect coffee, all enclosing the question of not one, but two murders. Set in Breton, the book admits the haunts of Monet and the others. The islands sound absolutely wonderful. In a heartbeat I’d be there if possible. The denouement comes in the last chapters, all hanging on the slightest of clues. I’m transfixed by the plot, and beneath it all the philosophical discussions of...

The Devil's Charm  (Heirs and Spares #1) by Megan Frampton          ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A young woman Diantha, older daughter of the Earl of Courtenay, whose reaction to her free wheeling family is to take responsibility for them, meets the second son of the Duke of Wexford, Lord Lucian Eldridge, who on the surface is a dilettante, but underneath is kind generous and thoughtful I’m not too sure if this is a story taking a leaf out of Romeo and Juliet with two feuding families (without all the angst and aggression), or just a rather different love story with the son and daughter of the feuding families sorting things out for themselves. The Duke of Waxford, is dour and regimented and ready to disinherit his second son if he doesn’t prove himself in business negations with his enemy the Earl who is irresponsible and easily bored. Diantha wants to be less regimented and more spontaneous and chooses Lucian to help her. Hmm! Racey and sometimes absurd but still fun. A Avon ...

A Slash of Emerald  (Dr. Julia Lewis #2) by Patrice Mcdonough   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Inspector  Richard Tennant, of Scotland Yard, calls on Julia where he can to act as the coroner In his inquiries  This time he does it out of deference to a young woman’s feelings who’s been  brought in under the Contagious Diseases Act, as she’d been walking home from her work via St James’s Park, a dodgy part of London at night, and near to the barracks.  Annie O’Neil is a hat maker who’s also been working as an artist’s model. However neither the Act nor the constabulary in this time of 1867 discern between everyday workers and prostitutes. A doctor is needed to examine Annie to determine if she’s a prostitute. Julia is livid with the law. Her opinion is that, “ forced examinations are medical rape.” This is just the opening barrage in the murder of some respected members of society, apparently united until now, the puzzling disappearance and murder of young and respectable worki...

Mrs Hudson and the Capricorn Incident  (Holmes & Hudson Mysteries #7)   by Martin Davies  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Along with Flotsam, I (your humble reader)  agonized about what to write to Scraggs, Flotsam’s special friend, who’d years earlier had rescued her from the gutter, and placed her in the care of Mrs Hudson in the household of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Here, as a maid, she’d learnt to read and write, and proved to be a an asset in assisting with investigations. Scraggs (gone from barrow boy to part owner of a London store) has gone to Manchester for business meetings and and a look at some of the latest developments. Flotsam was always was able to put it off writing to Scraggs because something more demanded her attention. (A lot of guilt follows, swept away by the latest emergencies) Holmes has been bored but now several situations come to his attention,  including a request from Queen Victoria. All hands to the deck, naturally including Mrs Hudson and F...

Evidence of Evil  (Silver and Grey #2) by Mary Lancaster   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Solomon Grey and Constance Silver return to a new mystery. Constance has been contacted by a woman she’d helped some years ago Elizabeth was a young gentlewoman who'd found herself pregnant, abandoned by her supposed fiancé, then turned out onto the streets of London by her parents with nothing but the clothes she stood up in. Determined to fight for her unborn child this previously protected young woman, ignorant of the hardships she’d face, did the only thing she could to survive—she prostitued herself. Fortunately Constance found her and took her in, helping her to place her child for adoption, and then assisting her to take up various placements as a governess. Elizabeth’s last position as governess to the children of a widower, ended up with her marrying her employer, Sir Humphrey Maule. Now however Elizabeth is about to be arrested for murder and has asked Constance for help. The daughter of a neighbo...

Three Days in June : A Novel  by Anne Tyler       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beautifully crafted novel centered around a divorced woman, her ex, and their daughter  who’s  to be married. Gail is an assistant principal. Prior to this she’d been a math teacher. She’s just been told the new principal won’t need her. (Gail is not a people person!) This is all very unexpected to Gail because last time she’d heard, she was supposed to be the next incumbent. Her daughter’s marriage is happening and there’s no time to do anything. Her ex husband Max was originally staying with their daughter. Unfortunately Max had had to bring an unnamed cat he’s minding for an animal shelter. Apparently the  Groom is super allergic to cat dander so that’s how Max and the cat are suddenly shifted to be at Gail’s.  There’s some hilarity over the naming of the cat.  Pearl, umm…Ruby…Carol? We are then treated to a look back at Gail’s life, her mistakes, her fears, her hopes, all...

Can't Help Faking in Love : A Novel  by Swati Hegde       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Harsha Godbole has moved out from under her wealthy parent’s influence and is trying to make it on her own doing what she wants to—photography. Harsha spent time studying in the United States but has moved back to Bangalore. Her self centered, difficult parents (Wow!), Bollywood magnauts, want her to marry someone as rich as they are, preferably an arranged marriage like her cousin Neha. When Harsha runs into her mean girl cousin who’s just become engaged to a successful, uptight neurosurgeon Dr. Rohan Jha, Neha decides Harsha’s companion must be her latest crush. He’s not! He’s the barista from Harsha’s favorite coffee haunt. Somehow in the confusion of the moment Harsha presents Veer Kennan as a district manager for the  Suntag Coffee consortium. Next thing we know Harsh’s paying Veer to be her fake boyfriend. Apart from the impeding craziness of it all, Veer’s been beside himself trying to w...

The Confessions of a Lady  (Queen’s Deadly Damsels #3) by Darcy McGuire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫  Housemaid Penny Smith was trained in the school of hard knocks down in St Giles. She survived by fighting, claiming her own space, and “take no hostages” sorts of actions. Which is exactly how her relationship with Lord William (Liam) Rehnquist seems to be going. All she has to do is find letters that prove he’s a member of the Devils Son’s cohort. Little does Penny know he works for the Queen. She’s under the impression that he’s linked to the fearful organisation. They’re working towards same ends but from different perspectives.  Penny is working for Constable Sweet gathering information about the Devil’s Sons for the reward money promised by Commissioner Worthington, in a desperate bid to free her mother from prison. Harriet Smith has been held in prison under the Vagrancy Act of 1838. The problem is for Penny is that Liam sees her, he really sees her, lowly maid that she is, and that...

The Gentleman Was Right (Greydon Series #2) by Britt Belle  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Honorable (Lord) Edward Grey needed to do something more apart from his painting. He wanted to support his brother Sebastian, the Earl of Greydon in his business undertakings. When his brother Sebastian wondered about sending his secretary? to investigate some disturbing expenditures by the housekeeper of a cottage Sebastian owned Edward decided to investigate. He didn’t expect to find in residence two sisters masquerading as his cousins, Violet and Isabelle Shaw. The mystery of the extra monies being spent is explained, but not why these strangers are sheltering at the cottage  Edward, very much struck by their story, offers marriage to Violet. A marriage that would turn out to be passionate, but can Edward gain Violet’s love? And that’s what Edward wants. Quite a lovely story. Edward’s a gem. Violet is hurt and feels betrayed. Healing takes place through Edward’s patience and trustworthiness. I felt for ...