Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski

From the publisher: 

American socialite Lily Durham is known for enjoying one moment to the next, with little regard for the consequences of her actions. But just as she is banished overseas to England as a “cure” for her frivolous ways, the Great War breaks out and wreaks havoc. She joins her cousin in nursing the wounded at a convalescent home deep in the wilds of Scotland at a crumbling castle where its laird is less than welcoming.

Alec MacGregor has given his entire life to preserving his home of Kinclavoch Castle, but mounting debts force him to sell off his family history bit by bit. Labeled a coward for not joining his countrymen in the trenches due to an old injury, he opens his home to the Tommies to make recompense while he keeps to the shadows. But his preference for the shadows is shattered when a new American nurse comes streaming into the castle on a burst of light.

Lily and Alec are thrown together when a series of mysterious events threatens to ruin the future of Kinclavoch. Can they put aside their differences to find the culprit before it’s too late, or will their greatest distraction be falling in love?

 

Let me preface this by saying that romance isn't one of my usual genres, so this won't be from an experienced fan's viewpoint. Despite this, I've somehow found myself on the romance email lists, and of course I'll look at the blurb of every book that comes my way. I've had a little more success enjoying historical or paranormal romances, so between the cover and the description, I figured I'd give this one a try.

I very much enjoyed Downton Abbey and that definitely influenced me picking this one up. There's very much the same flavor here, given the same time period and similar setting. As described by the publisher, the book follows Lily and Alec as they deal with the War, financial hardships, and their growing feelings for each other. The 'mysterious events' provide a narrative framework for moving the story along, but I would have been just as happy without them, or if they were toned down a little. The characters are well developed, with definite growth in both Lily and Alec, the dialog is believable, and the author was kind enough to include a Gaelic and Scots glossary. Reading the publisher's description again, Lily's backstory could have stood with a bit more developing; the book opens with her sneaking up from a servants' party, but other than that there is little written on what was bad enough to send her away. 

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm very glad I took a chance on it. I definitely recommend it for romance fans, and those who enjoyed Downton Abbey. Beauty Among Ruins will be available at the Galesburg Public Library after its January 12, 2021 release date. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine

From the publisher: A beautifully told and intriguing mystery about two generations of Scottish women united by blood, an obsession with the past, and a long-hidden body.

A Viking legend. A family story. And the excavation of an ancient mound amid the family drama of a storied mansion. These three timelines are woven together to form the plot of Sarah Maine’s Women of the Dunes.

Libby Snow is an archaeologist with a particular family interest in the legend of Ulla, a woman running from one brother and in love with another over 1000 years ago. Libby gets permission to excavate Viking ruins on Sturrock land in Ullaness off the coast of Scotland. Stern but attractive Rodri Sturrock manages the estate for his absent brother Hector. Libby keeps secret her family’s connection to Ullaness – her grandmother’s grandmother had moved to North America from this part of Scotland, carrying an ancient cross with her.

The story weaves together tales of star-crossed lovers. Excavation reveals the bones from more than one body, from more than one time period. The setting on the coast of Scotland is breathtaking. The plot takes some predictable turns, foreshadowed by the legend of the past, but surprised me at times as well. And I was happy when one villainous character proved not to be “foaming at the mouth stark raving mad,” as happens so often (too often) in mysteries, but a narcissist who acts entirely true to their spiteful nature.

Women of the Dunes is even better in my opinion than Maine’s first book, The House Between Tides. The characters are well developed, and humor is done with a light touch. My favorite scene happens in Chapter 13, when Libby’s pretentious boss comes to visit the manor house and Rodri and his housekeeper Alice put on a lordly homeowner/simpering servant act for him.

Women of the Dunes is a definite recommend from me for anyone who enjoys a historical mystery/romance and the wilds of Scotland. Women of the Dunes is available for checkout at the Galesburg Public Library, as is The House Between Tides.

The Blackhouse by Peter May

Posted for reader Kaye. Kaye died on October 26, but we wanted to publish her final book review.

This story takes place on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. A young detective, Fin, who grew up on the Isle, is sent back to investigate a murder that is similar to one he is investigating in his home in Edinburgh. His superiors fear it may be the work of a serial killer.

Life on the Isle was hard, the people had their customs, and it was very interesting to read about. The story told of a yearly trip the men from the Isle made to a smaller island to hunt and kill the “Guga,”  a native bird they spend two weeks out of the year hunting. What happens on the island, stays on the island, never to be discussed.

When he was 18, Fin fell on his first trip to hunt the Guga and was saved by his friend Artair's father. The older man tied a rope around Fin and pulled him up the cliff before plunging to his death. 

As the story unravels, Fin discovers that as a result of the accident he has a memory blackout of things that happened to him and his friend Artair. Fin has a dark secret that he has blocked out of his mind. Artair has hated Fin since the death of his father, and it has become deeply complicated.

The story kept me reading just to solve the mystery of the murders. It had a surprise ending. The Blackhouse is the first book in a series and can be found at the Galesburg Public Library in the adult fiction area under the author's last name, May.

Submitted by Georgette Kaye Carroll

Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

M.C. Beaton seems to have gotten her second wind with the Hamish Macbeth series. I liked Hamish's new constable Dick. The circumstances around the mystery were far-fetched as usual, but amusingly so. There was less romantic angst from Hamish than in some of the recent entries in the series. I would have liked to have seen more of Priscilla, but on the whole, as a loyal reader of this long-running series, I enjoyed Death of a Kingfisher.