Sunday Salon: First Reads of the Year - Mystery Novels

I can't get away from reading mystery novels. For the first books of the year, I have chosen, or rather, these book have fallen into my hands - from the library and from my TBR pile.

The Girl Who Lived Twice, #6 in the Millennium series first created by Stieg Larsson, 2019, library book

Death in Kew Gardens

Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley caught my eye because of my interest in plants, gardens, and gardening! This is the third in the Kate Holloway Mysteries set in Victorian London. Published June 4, 2018 by Berkley. Book from my shelves.

The House of Brides

The House of Brides, a first novel by Jane Cockram, October 22, 2019, Harper

Genre: psychological suspense. Book from my shelves

A young  woman flees to a family estate in England, but finds not safety, but only danger, there. 

Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron, August 2019, William Morrow, library book

I chose this book because of the main character - a professional organizer who helps people declutter. An unusual plot with great possibilities for a mystery. Seems like Emily Harlow not only has her clients to deal with, but a hoarding husband as well...

I plan to read non-mystery novels as well in 2020 and have a few on my list already, thanks to suggestions from fellow readers. 

What are your first reads this year?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon

Sunday Salon: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

I was able to finish this book in two days due to the scathing hot temperatures outside that allowed me to stay indoors and read.

The Dutch House

The Dutch House, a novel by Ann Patchett, September 24, 2019, Harper

Genre: family drama, domestic drama, fiction

The plight of two children, Danny and Maeve, grabbed me from the beginning - the story of a sister and her young brother whose mother disappeared from their gilded mansion in the Philadelphia suburbs and left them and their father in the care of a cook, a nursemaid, and a housekeeper. 

The house in which they lived, called the Dutch house because of the previous owners, seems to be the center of the novel. The Dutch house is a large impressive mansion bought by the father, Cyril, for his family, but its opulence and size overwhelmed the mother, Elna, so much that she deserted it along with her husband and children. The house is later taken over by a stepmother, Andrea, who loves the house but not the children, Danny and Maeve. She banishes them from their home after Cyril's sudden death, leaving them impoverished and alone.

The house and their past family life continue to influence Maeve and Danny as they make their own future without the benefit of their father's house or fortune. 

Intense and forceful, the story narrated by Danny, held on to me till the very end. The characters Elna and the stepmother Andrea are two opposites, distinct in their response to and relationship to the Dutch house. 

A five-star recommendation. This was an ebook borrowed through NetGalley. 

Two new books:

The Butterfly Girl

The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld, October 1, 2019, Harper

Genre: thriller, suspense

An investigator tracks down a missing girl. Setting: Portland, Oregon

The House of Brides

The House of Brides by Jane Cockram, October 22, 2019, Harper

Genre: psychological suspense

A young  woman flees to a family estate in England, but finds not safety, but only danger, there.

Memes: 

The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and the Sunday Salon,  Mailbox Monday.