Death Comes to Pemberley

by P.D. James
3 Stars
Historical Fiction
Setting: England
291 pages
Published 2011

Ellie's Review

P. D. James, who is a renown mystery writer, combined her skills with the world created by Jane Austin in Pride and Prejudice.  Death Comes to Pemberley looks at the life of Elizabeth and Darcy six years after they were married.  Their happy life at Pemberley is disrupted when Lydia arrived unexpectedly to announce a murder.  James was creative in putting her murder mystery genre into the story so many people loved.  If you look at it from a mystery standpoint, it was an entertaining read.  I learned more about the life of that period through the thoroughly researched details included.  However, if you want to see more of the love between Elizabeth and Darcy, you will be disappointed.  I do absolutely love Pride & Prejudice and will probably just reread it the next time I long for Mr. Darcy. This is the first novel by James I have read, and I probably will not read any more of her works.  If you like James' other novels and Jane Austen, this is probably a great read for you.  

If you are an Austen fan, I suggest Shannon Hale’s novel Austenland (4 stars). 

Book Summary
It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy's magnificent estate.  Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable.  Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house.  They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles.  Elizabeth's sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy's sister Georgiana.  And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered.  A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth's disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley.  She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered.  with shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.

Border Songs

by Jim Lynch
3 Stars
Setting: Washington, Canada
304 pages
Published 2009

Ellie's Review
I enjoyed Border Songs.  The story was interesting about the Border Patrol on the Washington/Canadian border.  The character development of Brandon Vanderkool was intriguing and kept my interest as the socially-inept man new to the Border Patrol has the knack for catching things along his stretch of patrol that are out of the ordinary.  I grew up in Idaho, several hours from the Canadian border, and joined in on jokes about how the border wasn’t really secure.  Post 9/11, I was surprised to be stropped and questioned while trying to enter the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  This novel probes into how much security we should place on that border to keep drugs, illegal aliens, and terrorists out of our country.  Lynch also explores the marijuana growing industry, which I found interesting since I drive past dispensaries every day in Denver.

Book Summary

Set in the previously sleepy hinterlands straddling Washington state and British Columbia, Border Songs is the story of Brandon Vanderkool, six food eight, frequently tongue-tied, severely dyslexic, and romantically inept.  Passionate about bird-watching, Brandon has a hard time mustering enthusiasm for his new job as a Border Patrol agent guarding thirty miles of largely invisible boundary.  But to everyone's surprise, he excels at catching illegals, and as drug runners, politicians, surveillance cameras, and a potential sweetheart flock to this scrap of land, Brandon is suddenly at the center of something much bigger than himself.

Prayers for Sale

by Sandra Dallas
3 Stars
Historical Fiction
Setting: Breckenridge, Colorado
305 pages
Published 2009

Ellie's Review
This is my second book I've read by Sandra Dallas, and both novels had the themes of female bonding, quilting, and a newcomer wanting acceptance.  Prayers for Sale is based on life in the mining town of Breckenridge, Colorado (called Middle Swan in the book) in 1936.  I found this aspect of history quite interesting since I tend to think of Breckenridge and other towns in Summit County as ski resorts with expensive real estate.  Life in the high country was quite rough for the miners who established the towns, and I enjoyed hearing about the life from a woman’s perspective.  The main character, Hennie, is a great story teller and provides a broad picture of the town and the times by sharing her numerous stories of herself and others.  This was a enjoyable, quick read.

Book Summary
Hennie Comfort is eighty-six and has lived in the mountains of Middle Swan, Colorado since before it was Colorado.  Nit Spindle is just seventeen and newly married.  She and her husband have just moved to the high country in search of work.  It's 1936 and the depression has ravaged the country and Nit and her husband have suffered greatly.  Hennie notices the young woman loitering near the old sign outside of her house that promises "Prayers For Sale".  Hennie doesn't sell prayers, never has, but there's something about the young woman that she's drawn to.  The harsh conditions of life that each have endured create an instant bond and an unlikely friendship is formed, one in which the deepest of hardships are shared and the darkest of secrets are confessed.  Sandra Dallas has created an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit.

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum #1)

by Janet Evanovich
3 Stars
Setting: Trenton, New Jersey
320 pages
Published 1994

Ellie's Review
One for the Money tells the tale of an average girl, Stephanie Plum, who turns into a bounty hunter since she's desperate for cash after being laid off.  I could relate to Stephanie's character as she jumps into this new lifestyle (I have no experience with killers, surveillance, or thugs).  This crime mystery was fluffy, sometimes humorous, and definitely geared towards a female audience.  The next time I'm looking for an entertaining and light read, I'll pick the next in the Stephanie Plum series - these are perfect for a flight, beach, or lazy day.

Book Summary
Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store).  Stephanie needs cash--fast--but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company.  She's got no experience.  But that doesn't matter.  Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli.  From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e.  And now the guy is in hot water--wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't.  Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand.  All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight--and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)

by Cassandra Clare
3 Stars
Young Adult
Fantasy with Vampires
Setting: NY
424 pages
Published 2011

Ellie's Review
While I did really enjoy the latest novel in The Mortal Instruments series, I didn't like it as much as the 2nd and 3rd books.  In the middle, too much was going on with the subplots and drama that was being created.  I would have been happy if Clare ended the series after the third novel since things were tied up so nicely.  She had to create so many new problems with the characters who had already overcame their numerous conflicts.  I did like City of Fallen Angels though and will probably read the next book whenever it is published.

Book Summary
Who will betray everything they ever believed in? Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart?  Love.  Blood.  Betrayal.  Revenge.  In the heart-pounding fourth installment of The Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever.

View Ellie's reviews of the rest of the series:
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles #1)

by Suzanne Collins
3 Stars
Children's Fantasy
Setting: NY
320 pages
Published 2003

Ellie's Review
This was a fun kids' book about a NYC brother and sister who fall through a laundry grate into the Underland where rats, bats, roaches, and spiders are huge and warring with each other. While I probably won't read any more in this series, I will recommend it to 8-year-olds, especially if they've ever been in a big city with those pests.

Book Summary
When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches, and rats—but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.  Gregor wants no part of a conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland's uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him and the Underland forever.

Author Information
Gregor the Overlander is the debut novel from Suzanne Collins who is now best known for writing The Hunger Games series.

Read Ellie's 5-star review of The Hunger Games.

The Passion

by Jeanette Winterson
3 Stars
Historical Fiction
Setting: Europe
176 pages
Published 1987

Ellie's Review
This was beautifully written novel about the many different aspects of passion set during Napolean's reign, and I loved how she spun in little bits of fairy tale. I really liked the first section and while I enjoyed the other three sections, they weren't as gripping.

Book Summary
Set during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars, The Passion intertwines the destinies of two remarkable people: Henri, a simple French soldier, who follows Napoleon from glory to Russian ruin; and Villanelle, the red-haired, web-footed daughter of a Venetian boatman, whose husband has gambled away her heart. In Venice's compound of carnival, chance, and darkness, the pair meet their singular destiny. In her unique and mesmerizing voice, Winterson blends reality with fantasy, dream, and imagination to weave a hypnotic tale with stunning effects.

The House at Riverton

by Kate Morton
3 Stars
Setting: England
599 pages
Published 2006

Ellie's Review
I actually give this 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed this 1920s novel set in England - it had some nice family and romantic parts in the plot as told by the maid. Even though the ending had a nice twist, the fact that a mysterious death is told about at the beginning and you find the true story out in the last few pages a bit cliche. It was very enjoyable and great to curl up with and read all in a weekend.

Book Summary
Summer 1924 - On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.

See Ellie's reviews of Kate Morton's later novels: The Forgotten Garden and The Distant Hours.

This was published in Europe under the title The Shifting Fog.

Click here to watch a 4-minute video of Kate Morton talking about The House at Riverton (no spoilers).

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck
3 Stars
Classic, Historical Fiction
Setting: USA
601 pages
Published 1952

Ellie's Review
I almost gave East of Eden 4 stars. I did enjoy this book and the lessons of good and evil within us. Some of the descriptions were fabulous (Liza is "as humorless as a chicken"). However, I think Steinbeck added in things he could have cut out to make the book shorter. I was a bit confused as to why he had someone narrate it first-person in just a handful of sections; I kept waiting for that person's story to be told more.

Book Summary
The masterpiece of one of the greatest American writers of all time. East of Eden is an epic tale of good vs. evil with many biblical references and parallels. The story is ultimately that of good's triumph over evil and the human will's ability to make that happen.

The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon #3)

by Dan Brown
3 Stars
Setting: Washington, DC
509 pages
Published 2009

Ellie's Review
The first half of this book was a real page-turner for me. Then I started loosing interest, and it was work to keep myself interested at the end. I didn't feel like I learned that much in this book, unlike his other Robert Langdon novels. I'm interested in learning more about Masons but didn't feel like I learned too much from this book.  Brown had too much of an agenda, and I just got tired of it. One of his scientific breakthroughs in the novel was something I've known for years - I just expected more.  Overall, I liked it but this was not up on the same level as The Da Vinci Code.

Book Summary
As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth. 

Firefly Lane

by Kristin Hannah
3 Stars
Settings: USA
496 pages
Published 2008

Ellie's Review
Although the beginning of this book felt too much like a Lifetime movie, I ended up really enjoying it and couldn't put it down at the end. It's a nice chick-lit novel that's totally girly and just an enjoyable read.


Book Summary
Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

The Broken Window (Lincoln Rhyme #8)

by Jeffrey Deaver
3 Stars
Setting: USA
414 pages
Published 2008

Ellie's Review
This novel reminded me of some of the original, classic John Grisham's - that's a good thing in my mind. While solving a crazy mystery, the reader learns about some topic. I would have given this 4 stars, but I didn't like who the killer was and Deaver had a teenager in NYC owning a car (I think that's totally unrealistic, especially for one in foster care - Deaver needs to learn to write about the subway).  If you like Grisham's first books and haven't  read Deaver, give him a try.  This is my first mystery read from the Lincoln Rhyme series, and I was fine picking this up without the others.

Book Summary
Lincoln Rhyme and partner/paramour Amelia Sachs return to face a criminal whose ingenious staging of crimes is enabled by a terrifying access to information....  When Lincoln's estranged cousin Arthur Rhyme is arrested on murder charges, the case is perfect - too perfect.  Forensic evidence from Arthur's home is found all over the scene of the crime, and it looks like the fate of Lincoln's relative is sealed.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

by Betty Smith
3 Stars
Classic, Historical Fiction
493 pages
Published 1943

Ellie's Review
I learned a lot about the early 1900s in Brooklyn and what struggles families encountered, so I'm really glad I read this book. However, I felt that while the subplots painted a fuller picture of the time, they were too numerous and meandering.

Book Summary
The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

Best Friends Forever

by Jennifer Weiner
3 stars
Setting: USA
368 pages
Published 2009

Ellie's Review
This is a nice, chick-lit novel that is great for when you don't want to think too hard.  It's a great book to read at the beach.

Book Summary
Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school's scapegoat.
Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She's just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Bitter is the New Black

by Jen Lancaster
3 stars
Nonfiction: Memoir
Setting: Chicago
398 pages
Published 2006

Ellie's Review
Jen Lancaster is a really great writer! I almost gave this 4 stars. It is very entertaining, and she did a great job of poking fun at herself.

Book Summary
This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.

Inkheart (Inkheart #1)

by Cornelia Funke
3 stars
Children's, Fantasy
Setting: Italy
548 pages
Published 2003

Ellie's Review
I was excited about the book in the beginning and the middle, but by the end I was ready for my next book. It was nice, but I don't think I'll read the others in the trilogy.

Book Summary
Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)

by Kate Jacobs
3 stars
Setting: New York
352 pages
Published 2007

Ellie's Review
Nice chick lit. For some reason, I had a hard time getting really excited about the book or characters - I'm not sure why. This wasn't a page-turner for me but was nice. I won't be reading the sequel.

Book Summary
Walker and Daughter is Georgia Walker's little yarn shop, tucked into a quiet storefront on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The Friday Night Knitting Club was started by some of Georgia's regulars, who gather once a week to work on their latest projects and to chat-and occasionally clash-over their stories of love, life, and everything in between.

The Uncommon Reader

by Alan Bennett
3 stars
Setting: England
120 pages
Published 2007

Ellie's Review
This is a very quick and easy read that's also humorous. It's a cute plot about the Queen of England getting hooked on reading.

Book Summary
The eponymous reader of Alan Bennett's good-natured novella is none other than England's own Queen Elizabeth, who pursues her incorrigible corgis into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, discovers the world of serious literature, and forsakes her duties for the pleasures of obsessive reading. Guided by a former kitchen employee, Her Majesty dives headlong into the works of Thomas Hardy, Marcel Proust, Nancy Mitford, and other literary icons -- while distressed advisers, fearing a constitutional crisis, scheme to divert her from her newfound passion.

A Painted House

by John Grisham
3 Stars
Historical Fiction
Setting: Arkansas
384 pages
Published 2000

Ellie's Review
Not Grisham's normal law suspense book, this book was different and good. It's an easy, meandering book that's a nice read but not one that is a page-turner.

Book SummaryUntil that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers — and two very dangerous men — came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world.

Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen
3 stars
Classic, Historical Fiction
Setting: England
409 pages
Published 1811

Ellie's Review
I enjoyed this book, but it's not my favorite Jane Austen. Since I wasn't a big fan of one of the male characters, I wasn't too excited about a female character falling in love with him. Other than that, the contrast between the two sisters was really interesting. This made for a good book club discussion.

Book SummaryMarianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.