Book Reviews
SUMMER RECOMMENDED READING
Summer is the perfect time to dive into a juicy novel. I’m a fan of many genres including historical and contemporary fiction, Christian and inspirational fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, and romance. For me, it isn’t about the newest books on the market—it’s about an engaging, page-turning story that’s so well-written, it stays with…
Read MoreLadies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke — a Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I just read an advance copy of the most wonderful novel, “Ladies of the Lake” by Cathy Gohlke, and I wanted to share. I was hooked from the first chapter. There are so many suspenseful threads and need-to-know questions between the story in the 1930s and the earlier…
Read MoreUnnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women by Kris Waldherr — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr brings to life the stories of three women in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein’s mother Caroline; his fiancé Elizabeth Lavenza; and the Frankenstein’s servant Justine Moreau, a character who Waldherr gives a fascinating background and a whole new lease on life. Mary…
Read MoreThe Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I was intrigued by the premise of The Curse of Morton Abbey, a novel which is described as “Jane Eyre meets The Secret Garden in a gothic novel of romantic suspense set in 1890s Yorkshire.” As a huge fan of both of those classic novels and All Things English and 19th…
Read MoreBloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I enjoyed Natalie Jenner’s debut novel The Jane Austen Society and was excited to dive into Bloomsbury Girls, the tale of three shop girls working at a male-run century-old bookstore in 1950 London. Evie Stone (one of my favorite characters from The Jane Austen Society) is a studious…
Read MoreJane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron – Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I have a soft spot in my heart for the Being a Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron. Reading them is a bit like time traveling back in time. The books are all expertly researched, a seamless blend of fact and fiction full of fascinating period and…
Read MoreThe Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews – Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James Can a daring, independent-minded equestrian and a brilliant, half-Indian dressmaker overcome the pressures of fashionable society to find love and happiness in Victorian London? That’s the premise of Mimi Matthew’s new novel The Siren of Sussex, and I have to admit, I was so intrigued that I could…
Read MoreThe London House by Katherine Reay — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I love historical fiction, women’s fiction, and novels with multiple timelines. It’s a challenging structure for an author, however, since it requires the creation of two or more protagonists who live in different eras, and separate stories that are not only equally weighted, well-structured, and compelling, but must be…
Read MoreDown a Dark River by Karen Odden — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I’m always up for a good Victorian murder mystery, and I was excited to dive into Karen Odden’s Down a Dark River, the first book in her new Inspector Corravan Mystery series. It’s 1878 in London, when a small boat bearing a young woman’s corpse drifts down the Thames.…
Read MoreJohn Eyre by Mimi Matthews — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James When I heard that John Eyre was a gender-swapping version of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre mashed up with elements from Bram Stoker’s Dracula—two of my favorite Gothic novels of all time—I was intrigued. I’m such a huge fan of these books that I’ve written novels inspired by both of…
Read More