April 22, 2024
The characters are powerful motivators to the spirit of individuality in a place where individuality is not the norm. I felt a close kinship to Nubbin.
October 17, 2023
The women gathering in the house, the evil collecting around them and the terrifying events of the weekend had me shouting to the the group not to do whatever action it was that they were set to do. It was as if I was watching a horror movie.
September 22, 2023
Enter Salem, the site of those famous witch trials. Enter witch-y characters and their friends, Charlene, Celeste, Serenity, Lucas – even the guests at the B&B. Within mere pages, you’ll fall in love with (or hate!) every character who dances across the page. And with good reason.
August 16, 2023
As a history fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the honest, in-depth historical setting, details, and experiential ways of life depicted in the book. Other history fans, particularly of the medieval period, will enjoy these elements as well. These historical pieces come into vivid clarity through Swanson’s writing in ways that non-historians could never offer.
July 23, 2023
I’m usually someone who sees the perpetrator within the first chapter but it took me much longer (almost to the end!) in Murder With Earl Grey Tea, which took me by surprise. Cozy mysteries rarely keep me wondering, which I found truly delightful.
June 15, 2023
The setting is vivid and draws you in, leading you to forget that you're not in an old painting of London and Nottingham. The characters are mostly warm and compassionate. Some are confusing, others surprising, all extremely well crafted and heartbreakingly developed.
May 16, 2023
The Whalebone Theatre is a long, literary read set in the early decades of the 1900s, shortly after WWI and through WWII. It takes a bit for the title to make sense, but once it does, my fellow theatre lovers will delight in the memories and emotions the tale pulls out.
September 21, 2022
Overall, The Forger’s Forgery is an exciting, intriguing literary fiction novel that keeps a reasonably quick pace, as long as you’re not expecting an action or thriller. The characters are vivid and memorable (even after a couple month gap at one point, the characters were still extremely present for me, even if the plot needed reminders!).
April 27, 2022
Slaver’s Bane had every element of fantasy I could hope for in a powerfully moving story. It was a grand tale that moved quickly making it hard to put down. I needed to know what happened on the next page.
June 26, 2021
Cozy mystery review: Mimi Lee Breaks the Code, a fun, fantastical episode in the Sassy Cat Mysteries!