Lady Molly of Scotland Yard is by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. A charming historical fiction series of short mystery tales by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Lady Molly and her assistant Mary are called on by Scotland Yard to solve mysteries the men can't seem to solve. This is a charming series of stories about the female version of Sherlock Holmes. She uses her intuition and brains to solve crimes. The stories are not lengthy, but are enjoyable.
Ratings: 8 out of 10 - 9th grade.
Blood on the Banisters is by Benedict Brown. The tenth installment in the Lord Edgington historical mystery series. Albert is about to get married. On the eve of the wedding he is invited to stay with his fiancée's family. Lord Edgington and Chrissy go with him. The Fairfax family is weird. They all seem to hate Lady Fairfax and make this clear to Lord Edgington and his grandsons after a creepy dinner. When Lady Fairfax is found dead on the staircase the morning of the wedding with her blood all over a sleeping Albert, Lord Edgington and Chrissy must save Albert from being arrested for the murder of his mother-in-law on the day of his wedding. There are certainly no lack of suspects who wanted her dead. Will the wedding go forward as planned? One of the most enjoyable in this great series.
Ratings: 9 out of 10 - 9th grade- V (violence).
The Poisoned Chocolates Case is by Anthony Berkeley. A classic historical fiction mystery from one of the members of the famous Detective Society. Graham and Joan Bendix have an apparently perfect marriage. Then he brings home a box of chocolates delivered to someone from his club, only to find they have been poisoned. He recovers, but his wife dies. The police bring the unsolved case to Roger Sheringham and his famous Crime Circle to see if they can solve the case. Each member then tells their own solution. Who is correct? A fun look at Golden Age detective fiction.
Ratings: 8 out of 10 - 9th grade.
The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche is by M. L. Longworth. The seventh installment in the realistic fiction Provencal Mystery series. A famous writer moves into a haunted mansion in Aix-en-Provence. Verlaque becomes involved when he is asked to reopen the investigation into the death of the author's wife. Marine becomes fascinated with the history of the house and the reason it may be haunted. This is not my favorite of the series. It is enjoyable, but is written in a less than straight forward manner.
Ratings: 6 out of 10 - 9th grade - AC (some mature thematic content).
The Curse of La Fontaine is by M. L. Longworth. The sixth book in the realistic fiction Provencal Mystery series. When Chef "Bear" opens a restaurant in Aix, it's an immediate success. When he decides he wants to expand into the adjacent courtyard he finds the historical society and it's powerful members against him. Then he discovers a skeleton buried near the fountain, which stops flowing. Has he awakened an old curse? Verlaque and his new bride must solve the mystery. Fans of the series will enjoy this one as well.
Ratings: 8 out of 10 - 9th grade - AC (some mature thematic content).
The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne is by M. L. Longworth. The fifth book in the realistic Provencal Mystery series. A friend from Verlaque's cigar club asks him to visit a retired postal worker who has found what he believes to be a lost Cezanne. When he arrives he finds Rene dead, the canvas missing, and an American history professor standing over the body. The search is on. Is the canvas a real Cezanne, if so who is the mysterious woman he painted? Fans of the series will enjoy this installment as well.
Ratings: 8 out of 10 - 9th grade - AC (mature thematic content).
Weyward is by Emilia Hart. A fantasy told through several generation of women in the Weyward family. A family long associated with witchcraft. 1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer; she is accused of being a witch. 1942: Violet is trapped in her family home. Her mother died under mysterious circumstances and her father treats her more like a prisoner than a daughter. 2019: Kate flees an abusive husband and returns to the home her mysterious Aunt Violet left her when she died. As she takes up residence in Weyward, she begins to learn the secrets of her family and the connections they all share. A novel centered around the power of strong women.
Ratings: 7 out of 10 - Adult - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).
Starling House is by Alix E. Harrow. A creepy fantasy about a haunted house and the family that lives there. Opal is an orphan trying to take care of her younger brother and make sure he gets out of the Eden, Kentucky and into a better school and a better life. She will do whatever she has to do to make this happen: beg, borrow, steal.... She has been obsessed with E. Starling a reclusive 19th century author who disappeared over a century ago. Yet her house, Starling House, still has someone living there. Opal finds herself working for the strange Arthur Starling, who has scarry secrets of his own. If you enjoy haunted house mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
Ratings: 7 out of 10 - 12th grade - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 1 is by Beth Brower. A charming historical fiction novella written as the first volume in a set of journals. It's 1883 and Emma Lion has returned to her ancestral home in the London neighborhood of St. Crispian's. Her cousin Archibald has been living in the house and managing her inheritance until she comes of age - which is very soon. Archibald has no love for Emma and she may find her inheritance harder to claim than she thought. This short book is fun and enjoyable and you will want to grab the next installment as soon s you can.
Ratings: 8 out of 10 - 9th grade.
Agnes Grey is by Anne Bronte. An historical fiction classic by the least known of the famous Bronte sisters. Agnes is the daughter of a poor clergyman who is ill. While her sister stays home with her mother and ailing father, Agnes decides to become a governess. The book is the story of the two families she finds herself serving. Agnes is determined to impart as many of her values to her charges as she can, despite the heinous brats she has to work with. A must read classic for fans of the Brontes.
Ratings: 9 out of 10 - 9th grade.
