Total Books: 2 Total Pages: 658 Longest: 365 Shortest: 293
Genres: 2 (Historical Fiction – 1, Thriller – 1)
Only two books completed this month as I was busy with several other projects which limited my pleasure reading time!
Tess Gerritsen – The Shadow Friends
This is the third book in Gerritsen’s Martini Club series which follows the adventures of several retired CIA operatives now living on the usually quiet Maine coast. Gerritsen is probably best known for her Rizzoli and Isles series which became a popular TV series a few years ago.
In this installment of the Martini Club, two mysterious deaths at an international conference held in Maine appear to be linked to a failed mission from decades before which Ingrid was involved with. She is drawn back into the search for an assassin or network of assassins by a former colleague, but she can’t explain her involvement to her husband or her friends. As stated in the Amazon description of the book: Forced to question every allegiance, the Martini Club must rely on the skills they tried to leave behind. Because in this game of revenge and deception, the past never dies—it just hides in the shadows.
Jessica Shattuck – The Women in the Castle
Another blogger that I follow had recently recommended this book and her review intrigued me to add it to my reading list.
Set at the end of WWII in Germany, it follows the lives of three widows attempting rebuild their lives in the aftermath of Germany’s defeat.
Marianne’s husband and her childhood best friend were killed in the attempted assassination of Hitler in July 1944. Marianne had promised to look after the wives of the conspirators and seeks to find as many as she can. She locates the young son of her friend in a Nazi reeducation home and eventually finds his mother, Benita, who must be rescued from Red Army officers. Another resister’s wife, Ania, and her two sons are also found, and they all move into the dilapidated castle belonging to Marianne. Following their physically and emotionally harrowing journeys through the war, the three women from very different backgrounds try to rebuild their lives together, but each has their secrets and must live with decisions made during trying times that could tear them apart.
It was a very well-written, well-researched, and engaging read. It was made even more interesting by Shattuck’s personal family history revealed in her Acknowledgments and Behind the Book sections. There are also Questions for Discussion making this a great selection for book clubs.
Until next time, read what pleases you!
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