Author: Hanna
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“Hotel Lucky Seven” by Kotaro Isaka
Nanao, the unlucky assassin in the newest novel by Kotaro Isaka, is so unfortunate that, according to him, whenever he decides to go to a temple for ritual cleansing, the priest is sure to slip into the puddle of water and cancel the entire ceremony. However, the latest job seems simple–delivering a framed painting to…
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“Soft Core” by Brittany Newell
“Soft Core” by Brittany Newell is an unusual and enchanting novel. It reads almost like a memoir, a first-person account of a young woman’s time working as a stripper and later a dominatrix in San Francisco. Being a stripper is almost accidental; however, it puts her into a world of people who, for different reasons,…
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“The Seventh Veil of Salome” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Every film studio in 1950s Hollywood was making a sword-and-sandals movie based on biblical stories, preferably with a seducing woman and a powerful man falling under the woman’s spell. The moviegoers were also tired of seeing Gary Cooper and wanted Richard Burton’s animal magnetism. Hence, in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new novel “The Seventh Veil of Salome,”…
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“Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime” by Leonie Swann
I enjoyed reading the first book in the Agnes Sharp series and found the second one even better. The elderly residents of Sunset Hall – Agnes, Edwina, Bernadette, Charlie, Marshall, and Winston – go on vacation to a fancy, secluded Cornish hotel, partially because Edwina won a romantic gateway for two and everybody wants to…
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“Parade” by Rachel Cusk
“Parade” is the first book by Rachel Cusk that I read. I learned that the author is a well-known novelist with a unique style and fans who eagerly await her next book. Starting with this novel may not be the best way for me to explore Cusk’s work. On the plus side, after finishing “Parade,”…
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“The Dark Wives” by Ann Cleeves
The institution of privately owned care homes for troubled teens in England is controversial. Running them should be a noble mission, but without sufficient state control, it can evolve into a business like any other, subject to negligence. Additionally, for the residents of such houses, their temporary homes and proximity to other teens like themselves…
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“One Big Happy Family” by Jamie Day
The setting of ‘One Big Happy Family’ is a unique luxury hotel on the shores of Maine, a place that immediately brought to mind the iconic Burgh Island Hotel off the coasts of Devon – the setting of Agatha Christie’s renowned novels. “The Precipice” is family-owned, with themed rooms where the Bishop’s three sisters spend…
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“A Refiner’s Fire” by Donna Leon
In her 33rd installment of the series, Donna Leon once again transports us to the enchanting city of Venice, guiding us through the labyrinthine streets alongside Commissario Brunetti. While I may have missed a few of the series’ novels, my fondness for them remains steadfast, a testament to Leon’s captivating world. This time, the story…
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“Role Play” by Clara Drummond
Vivian, the protagonist of Clara Drummond’s short novel Role Play, is a young woman from a wealthy family who lives in Rio de Janeiro and works as a curator at an art gallery. The story is written as an inner monologue, commenting on the events Vivian witnesses, the most dramatic of which is a case…
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“Summers End” by Juneau Black
“Summers End” was an unusual, cozy mystery for me. All the characters are animals living in a world of animals—think modern-day Beatrice Potter creatures, Aesop’s fables, or the Hundred Acre Wood without Christopher Robin. I was curious about this mystery because my local bookstore mystery book club selected another one from the same series (A…
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