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Fiction in the City of Lights: The Parisian Chapter and In the Spirit of French Murder

5 May

The Parisian Chapter
by Janet Skeslien Charles
The Parisian Chapter is the new novel by Janet Skeslien Charles which includes characters from her previous novel, The Paris Library, but even having not read that I was still able to jump right in (though if you enjoy it as much as I did you will likely want to read that one as well). In 1995, Lily and her roommate and childhood bff Mary Louise have been living in Paris for five years, but when Mary Louise decides to move out she needs to find a job to pay her half of the rent; she finds that at the American Library in Paris along with a quirky found family and a discovery about Odile, who worked there during WWII and was Lily’s inspiration for her coming to France. Although Lily is the core of the story, there are varying points of view from the novel’s endearing cast of characters.

In the Spirit of French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge
Tabitha Knight is back for her fourth in the An American in Paris Mystery Series in the new novel, In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge. Although it is not essential to read the previous books this one follows only a few weeks after the third book in the series so I would recommend reading that one before hand. Tabitha is helping her Grandfather and his companion throw a special dinner party at the new restaurant that they are opening, but a warning from a Fortune Teller sets in motion danger for her grandfather and his friends. Cambridge has created a wonderful cast of characters beyond Tabitha that cozy readers will also adore including of course her best friend Julia Child based on the real life cook and TV personality, who lived in post-war Paris. Child is featured less in this novel than some of the previous ones in the series, but is always a fun addition. Those who like a little romance with their mysteries will enjoy the love triangle between Tabitha and a detective who she has chemistry with, but who resents her meddling and a French veterinarian she has recently started dating. The Hoboken Library’s Mystery Book Discussion read the first in the series last year and felt that teen mystery fans as well as adults might enjoy the story. If you would like to join the group, or one of the other book discussion groups at our library, you can check out our calendar of events for upcoming dates.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Fabulous Fantasies: West of Wicked and A Master of Djinn

21 Apr

West of Wicked
by Nikki St. Crowe
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe is the first in The Great and Terrible Land series. The second in the series East of Envy will be out in November. The story is a darker and spicier spin on The Wizard of Oz that should appeal to fans of Wicked. Dorothy was abandoned as a young child at a Kansas farm by a loving couple, but she never quite fit in. Now all grown up she is questioning whether to accept the marriage proposal from a handsome friend, when a tornado takes her to a mysterious, gloomy land. She encounters a gorgeous stranger hung up like a scarecrow and a variety of other familiar and new characters as she journeys to find the Wizard. The story is told from multiple perspective which gives a unique perspective on the world and its inhabitants many of whom including Dorothy are hiding intriguing secrets.

A Master of Djinn
by P. Djeli Clark
A Master of Djinn is a spectacular steampunk adventure set in Egypt in 1912 that had plenty of twists and turns that surprised and enthralled me. So often in the past when I would see Egypt depicted in fantasies, it would focus on archeologists and tomb raiders, this story stars Egyptians themselves which gives an insider view of the action that takes place. This was P. Djeli Clark’s first full length novel, but there are additional prequels in this series you can check out, if you enjoy this story. Fatma el-Sha’arawi works for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. She is surprised (and not particularly overjoyed) when she learns she has been assigned a partner, but she will need all the help she can get when she investigates a secret brotherhood dedicated to a famous historic figure, Al-Jahiz, who had first brought the magical into our realm.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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