Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

So, through the magic of the internet and twitter, I discovered this book by Celeste Ng.  I didn’t read her last book, although I heard great things about it as well.  This book has been all over the book blogs and TV (I think even Reese Witherspoon recommended it for her book club).  So, with all the rave reviews, I decided to add it to my Book of the Month box in October.  It’s a great deal, only $9.99 to add books…and I’ve actually gotten several best sellers that way.  So much better than paying full price sometimes!

Anyway, back to the book.

It starts in the aftermath of a fire in Shaker Heights, OH, a planned community south of Cleveland.  At the time it was founded, Shaker Heights was one of the first “planned communities”.  Everything from roads, sidewalks, house colors, schools, etc. were carefully planned and executed. The Richardson’s are considered part of the perfect, planned culture.  Successful husband, wife with a career, and four children.  The jock, the thoughtful one, the shallow daughter, and the moody youngest.  Everyone in the book thinks the youngest child started the fires (the title is how the fires started….little fires in each bedroom).  She has gone missing and no one really knows what happened.

The book jumps back to before anything was seen to be wrong.  We follow the lives of the Richardson’s, their tenants (Mia and her daughter Pearl), and the surrounding community.  There is a scandalous adoption, an almost adoption, missing families, and then finally the fires themselves.

The book keeps the reader guessing as to who is responsible for the fires.  In this planned community there is an undercurrent of malice that means anyone could be responsible.  It keeps up the tension as the reader learns about the various connections the people in this town have.  Definitely worth the read.

Also,

If you would like to try Book of the Month use my link!

Book of the Month Referral code

Another Also,

I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November with my new book.  I’ve finished my Cozy Mystery and am still in the querying mode with some requests for Full Manuscripts.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed!  The next book is something completely different and I can’t wait to try doing it during NaNoWriMo!

 

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander

I was lucky enough to get a chance to read this book early from the great people at Netgalley.com.  This is the 12th (!) book in the Lady Emily series.

Now, for those of you that don’t know, I danced for over 23 years (growing up, high school, college) and ballet is my secret passion.  I don’t exactly have a dancer’s body anymore, but I love it so much.  Last year I saw several Boston Ballet productions and fell even more in love with the Ballet (Shout out to Professor Barbara Sholes—-best ballet teacher ever).  So, when I read the description of this book that Lady Emily gets entangled in the world of Swan Lake and prima ballerina’s with the great choreographer Marius Petipa.

Lady Emily joins her husband who is working in St. Petersburg Russia and entwines herself and her good friend.  I enjoyed this much more because her kids are stuck back in England so they don’t factor in.  As a childfree person, sometimes I get annoyed when children are mucking about.  This felt like the first couple of books with Emily and Colin solving mysteries together.  A prima ballerina is found murdered on the night she dances the solo in Swan Lake.  Emily is tasked by a former lover of the dancer to find out what happened.  People in Russia during the time don’t seem to trust the police all that much, so Emily is an impartial observer to the trials and tribulations of the Russian court and the ballerina’s who’s lives are intertwined.

Tasha Alexander is the master of weaving historical details into such a fun murder mystery.  I could picture the courts, the snow, the costumes, the stages each time she described them.  I’m a fan.  I’ve been a fan since the beginning, and this book just continues my love for Lady Emily and Colin *swoon*.