Title: Where the sweet bird singsAuthor: Ella Joy OlsenPublished by: Kensington BooksPublication date: 29 August 2017 Genre: General FictionISBN:  9781496705648Mareli’s rating: 3 starsRecommend to: Lovers of adult fiction that deals with loss and griefDescription: People respond to tragedy in different ways. Some try to move on. Some don’t move at all. A year after her young son’s death due to a rare genetic disease, Emma Hazelton is still frozen by grief, unable and unwilling to consider her husband Noah’s suggestion that they try to have another child.As the future Emma once imagined crumbles, her family’s past comes into sharp relief. Searching for the roots of her son’s disease, Emma tries to fit together the pieces in her genealogical puzzle. Hidden within an old wedding photograph of her great-grandparents is an unusual truth Emma never guessed at—a window into all the ways that love can be surprising, generous, and fiercely brave . . . and a discovery that may help her find her own way forward at last. (Netgalley) “You asked why a person would lie? I’ll tell you. It’s because you can’t bear the weight of the enormous mess you’ve made, because you pray things will work out for the best, or they’ll change given […]

Title: The Serial Killer’s DaughterAuthor: Lesley WelshPublished by: BookouturePublication date: 14 June 2017 Read: June 5 – June 10 2017Genre: ThrillerPages: 343ISBN:  9781786811929Mareli’s rating: 4 starsRecommend to: PSYCHO (Some new killing tips and how to lie about it here)Description: Suzanne’s life changes forever the day she receives a visit from Rose Anderson, the woman who has been living with her estranged father, Don. Don is dead, but Rose wants Suzanne to have his possessions – including a series of intimate diaries and a mysterious collection of photographs of women. To Suzanne’s shock, one of the photos is of her friend Sophie, whose death ten years before in an unexplained and devastating fire broke Suzanne’s heart. But Don only met Sophie once, on an unsettling visit he paid Suzanne just days before Sophie’s death… So why did he have a picture of her? Unable to let Sophie’s memory alone, Suzanne begins to dig into her father’s life. What horrors is she about to unearth in his journals? And who is it that’s out there, watching her every move? Lesley Welsh.com After Lesley Welsh’s editor at Bookouture read The Serial Killer’s Daughter for the first time, she turned to the author and said, “I do sometimes worry that Don Tyler came out of your head”.As a reader and lover of psychological […]

Title: Don’t Tell AnyoneAuthor: Eleanor GrayPublished by: Midnight InkPublication date: 08 December 2016 Read: April 16 – April 18 2017Genre: Mystery; General Fiction; Family DramaPages: 384ISBN:  9780738750224Mareli’s rating: 4 starsRecommend to: Lovers of Whodunnit Description: Nearly lost in a fog of grief over the fatal stabbing of her daughter, art historian Grace Neville feels only sorrow as Jordan Dukes is found guilty of murder. Days after the sentencing, Grace receives a visit from Jordan’s father, who claims that his son is innocent and a grave miscarriage of justice has taken place. Jordan’s history of gang-related violence and the fact that he doesn’t have an alibi make his father’s plea hard to believe. But then why does somebody break into Grace’s home and go through her daughter’s belongings? In Don’t Tell Anyone, Eleanor Gray explores the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the secrets that drive Grace to seek the truth no matter what the cost. Goodreads Don’t Tell Anyone is one of those books that you can actually tell everyone about. Most readers enjoy a good Whodunnit every now and then. Don’t Tell Anyone is a decent mystery with a twist or two in the tail.   Grace is devastated after the brutal stabbing of her only child, Tara. Her “almost […]

Title: The Other EinsteinAuthor: Marie BenedictPublished by: Sourcebooks LandmarkPublication date: 18 October 2016 Genre: Historical FictionPages: 304ISBN:  9781492637257Mareli’s rating: 3 starsRecommend to: Lovers of historical fiction and strong female charactersDescription: A vivid and mesmerizing novel about the extraordinary woman who married and worked with one of the greatest scientists in history.What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? His first wife, Mileva “Mitza” Marić, was more than the devoted mother of their three children—she was also a brilliant physicist in her own right, and her contributions to the special theory of relativity have been hotly debated for more than a century.In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich. There, she falls for charismatic fellow student Albert Einstein, who promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, so too does Mileva’s worry that her light will be lost in her husband’s shadow forever. Goodreads First of all, a big thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author, Marie Benedict for presenting me with an early copy of this marvelous novel. Quite similar to Marie Benedict, I started this novel with even less than “commonplace understanding” of […]

A Novel about the Little Dog who almost changed history Title: SiriusAuthor: Jonathan CrownPublished by: ScribnerPublication date: 04 October 2016 Genre: Literary FictionPages: 247ISBN:  9781501144998 Mareli’s rating: 5 starsRecommend to: Animal lovers (especially for dashing fox terriers), lovers of historical novels (WWII)Description: Berlin, 1938: Sirius, a dashing fox terrier, lives a charmed life with the German Jewish Liliencrons. But, with the rise of Nazism, the Liliencrons decide to leave Berlin for Hollywood.Sirius takes his destiny into his own hands with the kind of melancholic mirth exclusive to his breed. He becomes a celebrated film star and circus performer, friend to Rita Hayworth and Cary Grant. But, when a magic trick goes wrong, Sirius ends up back in war-torn Berlin. Never one to despair, he finds himself in the Führer’s headquarters as Adolf Hitler’s lap dog… and an informant for the resistance. Goodreads What an absolute delightful book. Levi is a fox terrier and the last survivor of the Third Reich (a bit different from the one you know), the much-loved family pet for the German Jewish Liliencrons and the ever faithful companion to a tree. When all those bearing a Jewish name were threatened in 1938, the family changed Levi’s name to Sirius. This sparks the beginning of a […]

The devilish parts: Title: Autumn in OxfordAuthor: Alex RosenbergPublished by: Lake Union PublishingPublication date: 30 August 2016 Genre: Women’s fiction/Crime&Mystery/historical speculationPages: 426ISBN:  9781503939073 Mareli’s rating: 3 starsRecommend to: Crime&Mystery lovers with hints of historical speculation. Lovers of conspiracy theories might also enjoy this one.Description: After being blacklisted for having communist sympathies as a student twenty years before, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Tom Wrought escapes America’s Cold War climate to teach at Oxford. There, he falls in love with Liz Spencer, a beautiful married woman. When Liz’s husband is pushed in front of a train in the London Underground, Tom is immediately arrested for the murder. Scotland Yard is convinced it has its man, as he had means, motive, and opportunity. Certain of his innocence, Liz hires a young solicitor, Alice Silverstone, to defend Tom. But they discover that Tom’s former secret work as an American spy made him a number of powerful enemies. Russian intelligence, British counterespionage, and even the FBI all may have reason to frame him. If Liz and Alice can find out who is behind the murder, they stand a chance of freeing Tom, but doing so puts all their lives at risk. This novel had more twists and kinks than a South African “koeksister“. I […]

The devilish parts:Title: Anna and the King of SiamAuthor: Margaret LandonPublished by (ebook): Open Road Integrated MediaPublication date (ebook): 23 August 2016 (first published in 1944)Genre: Literary/Historical FictionPages: 395ISBN:  9781504038553 Description: In the early 1860’s, Anna Leonowens, a widow with two young children, was invited to Siam (modern day Thailand) by King Mongkut who wanted her to teach his children and wives the English language and introduce them to British customs. Inspired by two memoirs written by Mrs Leonowens, Margaret Landon took the first person narratives and enhanced them with details about the Siamese people and their culture from other sources. The book has been translated into dozens of languages and has inspired at least six adaptations into various dramatic mediums. Now, for the first time, it is also available on electronic format.Mareli’s rating: 4 starsRecommend to: Readers of historical fiction and memoirs and those who love Rodgers and Hammerstein’s hit musical – The King and I    I’ve received an electronic copy of Anna and the King of Siam from Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for a fair and honest review.  When I first saw that there is a copy up for review on Netgalley, I requested one immediately. I remember the 1956 movie adaptation of The King and I […]

Title: The Benefits of DeathAuthor: Roderic JeffriesPublished by: Endeavour PressPublication date: 24 June 2016Genre: Mystery & Thrillers / General FictionPages: 176 (kindle)ISBN: 9781534893436 Description: There is no love lost between Charles Leithan and his wife, but with inheritance money at stake, neither will instigate divorce. So when she goes missing, the police are convinced he’s responsible. EndeavourpressRating: 3 StarsRecommend to: Cozy mystery readers and fans of Midsomer Murders“Disappearance of unpleasant English female dog fancier puts hubby on spot; law asks lots of questions”  – Quoted from Saturday Review 25 April 1964 I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Endeavour Press in exchange for a fair and honest review. What will you consider as fair? In Charles Leithan’s opinion, life definitely was not fair. He has been unhappily married for years to a woman who is vastly known as a graceless woman and rather a female dog. Ironically, she spends her days (and Charles’ money) on the pedigree dogs she breeds and shows. And then the bitch disappears. (I’m talking about the leader of the doggie pack here, but the wife goes missing as well).    If not for his father’s screwed-up will, Charles would have long since been divorced from Evadne and in the arms of […]