My Series-ous Reading is haunted by Jane and The Ghosts of Netley

My Triple Play theme for this year’s Series-ous Reading takes me further into Jane Austen country with Stephanie Barron’s Jane and the Ghosts of Netley, which directly follows the SR selection from last month, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House.

Jane is still living near Southampton when she receives an invitation to secretly meet up with one of her dearest friends (and possibly more than that), Lord Harold Trowbridge aka The Gentleman Rogue.

She’s well aware of the discreet missions that Lord Harold done on behalf of king and country, even adding some assistance of her own from time to time. This is one of those occasions that requires some of Jane’s help as a woman from Lord Harold’s past has just moved into Netley Lodge and keeping his presence a secret is important for the moment.

The lady in question is Sophia Challoner, a widow with no love for English politics, particularly due to their restrictions upon the Catholic faith. Jane becomes injured during her attempts to casually observe the doings at Netley and Sophia’s courtesy towards her soon grows into a new friendship.

She soon doubts that all of Lord Harold’s suspicions about Sophia are correct but gathers up some concerns of her own as a local shipyard is attacked with a man being ruthlessly killed in the process. Furthermore, Sophia is also entertaining a mysterious American guest named James Ord and an even more mysterious visitor known only as Monsignor:

Once Lord Harold makes his presence known to Sophia, tensions rise even greater. As Jane finds herself caught between these two dynamic forces, can she truly make an accurate judgment of the situations before her, not to mention her own heart?

Having read the book that comes after this one(Jane and His Lordship’s Legacy) already, I was somewhat prepared for a certain character to permanently depart the narrative here. 

Despite that knowledge, the final scene between him and Jane was most touching and startling indeed.

What was a real surprise for me was the appearance of Maria Fitzherbert into the plot. The not so secret love(and not legally recognized wife) of the Prince Regent comes to visit Sophia and appears to have connections with several of the guests at Netley, making the political intrigue that Lord Harold is involved with rise to a much higher level there.

I do appreciate the research that Barron does  for these book and slips neatly into the storylines, sometimes with footnotes, that enriches the world around her version of Jane Austen. That blend of actual history with inspired imagination is what make the Jane Austen Mystery a real cut above the rest for me:

Soon this part of my Triple Play pleasure will be at an end as I am now reading Jane and the Barque of Frailty. This will complete the series for me until the actual last novel is published this fall.

For this story, Jane is staying in London with her banker brother Henry and his wife Eliza as she is getting ready for her first novel, Sense & Sensibility, to be released to the public.

When the shocking death of a foreign princess happens not too far from her family’s doorstep, Jane grows curious about the case and becomes even motivated to find the killer when she and her sister-in-law are accused of taking part in the crime!

Yes,Jane never did fit well into London society and as her fictional heroines Elinor and Marianne discover, such places do bring excitement of the worst kind into ordinary people’s lives most certainly there:

 

Following a fresh stream of summer reading

It may be early in the summer season but the vibe is definitely giving off halfway point there.

What with questionable weather,dreary news updates and lackluster  blockbuster films, the tone is decidedly more in the dog days zone than the good old summertime scene.

A good way to push back against such overheated weariness is to cool off with a great read and a streaming show that ties in together nicely. For example, the new season of Outlander has begun on Starz, airing on Friday nights.

As the Revolutionary War fast approaches, Jamie and Claire find themselves having to make choices that will not impede history yet also protect their loved ones from serious harm. The consequences for all are all the more dire for knowing what is supposed to be.

The Diana Gabaldon novels that this show is based upon have gained new readers while pleasing the already loyal fans for the most part, not easy to do at all. Nevertheless, this new season is truly a welcome sight to see on screen.

I’ve been a fan of the show ever since it started and yes, the books are long(I have only read a couple of them) but just one of them should tide you over nicely during many a heat wave to come:

If you’re more in the mood for something a bit shorter and snappy, Amazon does have the adaptation of Naomi Alderson’s The Power fully available.

This story is set in our world where across the globe, young women and girls are discovering that they possess an electrical energy that literally changes the power balance between the sexes.

The possible impact of this sudden shift is explored through various characters such as a politician (Toni Collette) who wants to see how this can alter her path of ambition to a journalist (Toheeb Jimoh) getting the ultimate story of the century and the daughter of a crime boss(Ria Zmitrowicz) looking to being truly in charge of her life.

The novel was amazing and hopefully, this series has lived up to such the embarrassment of riches that the source material provides:

However, for those of you looking for some book club fare, Reese Witherspoon and company have something right up your literary alley.

Jennifer Garner takes the lead in Apple + TV ‘s miniseries, The Last Thing He Told Me, based on Laura Dave’s bestselling novel chosen for Reese’s Hello Sunshine Book Club. Garner plays Hannah, a woman who discovers that she doesn’t know her husband Owen(Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) as well as she thinks she does, especially when he disappears seemingly without a trace.

In order to find him along with some answers, Hannah has to team up with Bailey(Angourie Rice), her teen stepdaughter who is just as confused and concerned about her father. Can they locate him before those out to destroy their family unit do so?

I really like how Reese Witherspoon has been very forward thinking in bringing good books to cinematic life, whether it’s a big Hollywood movie or a made for streaming showcase. I haven’t read every book that’s been highlighted in her club but many of them I have enjoyed and anticipate seeing sometime soon on screen:

Of course, it’s going to be awhile before many of our favorite shows return due to the Writers Guild strike (which may be followed by an actor’s strike as well). It’s ridiculous that these top executives refuse to properly pay the people who are making these vast fortunes for them but selfishness and greed know no bounds, it seems.

Frankly, it will be worth the wait as not only will many of us find time to catch up on shows that we haven’t seen before (Only Murders in the Building and The Mandalorian are on my list!) but catch up on our reading as well. 

For now, we still have some book based entertainment to engage in and here’s to the fall season where back to school time starts off with Lessons in Chemistry, courtesy of author Bonnie Garmus and Brie Larson:

My mysterious plans for Autumn in August

As some of you may know, I tend to make late summer staycation plans on my blog and this year is no exception.

So, for Autumn in August(where I watch and review movies that give off that feeling of the fall season nicely), this time around, an air of mystery seemed to be very suitable with a blend of two English authors whose works keep being adapted to screens small and large on a regular basis.

First up is Agatha Christie with the 1978 version of  Death on the Nile, starring Peter Ustinov as Inspector Poirot(my favorite take on this character) who finds himself on a cruise down the famed Egyptian river with quite the cast of potentially murderous travelers.

Such a great selection of actors for this film with the likes of Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Mia Farrow and the dynamic duo of Bette Davis and Maggie Smith who play an aging countess and her cynical companion that take great delight in tormenting each other. 

You get a lot of fun bitchy drama  just from those two alone even before the murder happens, which is such a sinister sweet treat indeed:

After, more Peter Ustinov Poirot adventures with 1982’s Evil Under the Sun, where our detective attempts to rest his “little grey cells “ at a remote island resort.

 Naturally, the assorted guests such as Diana Rigg, Roddy McDowell, Maggie Snith(again!) and James Mason find themselves in the midst of murder with only Poirot to lead the way towards finding the killer among them.

I do enjoy Ustinov’s sly humor as Poirot but he never becomes a totally comical character. Rather, he cleverly uses his amiable nature as a sharp tool in his detective kit to ferret out the true suspects in any case, something that other crime solvers such as Columbo  also employed as well, following in his fictional footsteps so to speak:

Yes, we do have one more Agatha Christie movie but this time, it’s Miss Marple up at bat.

The Mirror Cracked from 1980 stars Angela Lansbury as Jane Marple(which many say lead to her iconic Murder She Wrote TV series) who has no choice but to look into the strange death that occurred at the welcome party for actress Marina Gregg(Elizabeth Taylor) from the sidelines due to an unrelated injury.

Nevertheless, with the help of her police inspector nephew, Jane deduces that Marina might have been the real target of the killer as the poisoned drink that took out a local woman was originally meant for her. That only increases the number of suspects, particularly such Hollywood rivals as Lola Brewster(Kim Novak) and Marty Fenn(Tony Curtis).

This film is what got me interested in Agatha Christie in the first place (also the first Christie book that I ever read) so going back to it is as comfortable as snuggling into your well worn but coziest sweater there:

Finally, what’s a fall

film selection without a bit of Jane Austen? “But she didn’t write mysteries!” you might say and yet, one of her books did toy with the concept of taking fandom a little too far.

The 2007 adaptation of  Northanger Abbey does justice to the novel, where young  country girl Catherine Morland (Felicity Jones) takes her knowledge of the wider world from the gothic books that she and her new friend Isabella Thorpe (Carey Mulligan) eagerly devour while visiting the great city of Bath.

Being charmed by Henry Tilney (J.J. Fielding), Catherine agrees to visit his ominous family home but is everything really as it seems? Or is Catherine’s imagination the most dangerous element in this situation?

I use to encourage teen book buyers to try Northanger Abbey as Austen’s version of Scream(hey, if Clueless gets kids to read , why not this?). So, if you’re new to NA, just think of it as the Regency version of Scream minus the body count:

So, I do hope that many of you will join me this August for some early autumn chills and thrills with this Agatha and Austen blend of cinematic tea.

Ensemble stories of suspense like these never truly go out of style; they just stand ready in the back of the pop culture wardrobe to be taken out and revived when need be. 

The Knives Out films certainly prove that to be the case for one, and hopefully others will pave that  storytelling way forward by looking back to the past properly as inspiration for newer tales to tell:

 

Getting a new book buddy and other summer surprises

While I am still taking a book buying break(even skipped my latest Book of the Month Club selection), apparently the universe wants me to have more new books to read and discuss.

Recently, I was accepted into Simon & Schustet’s Simon Books Buddy program which means that I can receive readers copies(both physical and digital) of upcoming titles to talk about online. This is great as I do like getting the chance to check out advance books and spread the good word to all and sundry.

So far, I gotten two physical books, one of which was released into bookstores this week; Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess. This debut novel follows Jessica “Jess” Jones as she finds herself constantly running into Josh Hillyer, a former college colleague whose political views and general outlook on life is drastically different from her own.

The two of them become reluctant work partners at Goldman Sachs, with Josh being assigned to assist Jess during her early days at the firm. 

Despite their regular debates regarding how the world works for both of them, particularly since race and gender are main factors in society’s perception of Jess, a bond begins to form between them that may not change their basic beliefs, especially as the presidential election of 2016 draws near.

I started reading Everything’s Fine a couple of days ago and I’m already hooked. Rabess has a great narrative flow and sure hand with dialogue that puts one in mind of classic screenplay writing from the golden age of Hollywood.

The tone of the story is firmly set in modern times and promises to become one of the compelling reads of the summer for sure. Being introduced to new authors is part of the joy of early reading opportunities like this and it will be interesting to see what Rabess has next up for her audience of eager readers:

The other novel that I got is a different kind of debut as author Carolyn Mackler goes from YA to adult with The Wife App, set to be released later this June.

When a trio of divorced women are tired of being held to the standard expectations of wives and mothers with no consequences for their former spouses, they decide to take these lemons and make some profitable lemonade.

Lauren, Sophie and Madeline use their combined skills in tech,finance and social marketing to create an app that would hire them to do domestic chores and other wife like responsibilities for paying customers.

Once the service takes off, the ladies find themselves getting the upper hand in many of their personal  and professional situations but can they expand this enterprise without jeopardizing their friendship and future relationships?

Mackler’s work is new to me yet I do want to give this a try, especially since the whole concept is giving me The First Wives’ Club vibes in the best sense there:

Meanwhile, I was sent a digital copy of Jennifer Weiner’s big summer book due out this August entitled The Breakaway (she’s published by Simon as well but this is not part of the Book Buddy selection).

Our leading lady is Abby, who has always found it difficult to find focus in her life but rediscovering the joy of bicycling seems to have finally given her purpose.

When she’s given the chance to lead a bike tour from New York City to Niagara Falls, Abby is beyond thrilled at this opportunity but some of the other riders on this trip might put the brakes on her overall confidence here.

One of them in particular is Sebastian, who she had a one night stand with during a bachelorette party a couple of years ago. Their night together was great but Abby truly thought  that she would  never see him again, particularly now that she’s in a somewhat steady relationship with Mark, her childhood sweetheart.

Add to that her meddling mother Eileen joining in the tour at the last minute, Abby hopes that this potentially rocky road won’t end in complete disaster. Perhaps this reunion with Sebastian might veer off to a batter path as long as her mother doesn’t bring this situation to a complete stop.

I’ve been a Jennifer Weiner fan ever since I read an advance copy of Good In Bed back in my bookseller days (yes, I have actually bought her books since then most happily) and this story sounds like another literary gem from her emotional treasure trove:

Well, having more good books to enjoy and share with others is a real blessing these days. It’s also a good excuse to stay inside this summer, which in my area also has a different type of heat to deal with right now (stay safe, my east coast friends!).

Nonetheless, this summer should have plenty of page turning entertainment for all and hopefully things will be better in time for the Tony awards this Sunday. My preferred kind of hot is on stage winning applause and many well deserved honors indeed:

 

My Series-ous Reading introduces me to Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House

My Triple Play theme for this year’s Series-ous Reading challenge takes me to Jane Austen country as I endeavor to finish Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries before the final entry is released. In Jane and The Prisoner of Wool House, we follow our Miss Austen to Southampton, where one of her naval brothers, Frank, is stationed with his wife Mary who is close to her birthing due date.

As anxious as he is for his first child to be born, Frank has an immediate concern about a good friend of his, Tom Seagrave, who is accused of murder. During the capture of a French ship, Tom is said to have killed the captain of that vessel upon accepting the other man’s surrender, a serious charge that could see him hanged.

Seagrave’s  main accuser is a lieutenant named Chessyre,whose motive for giving false witness may be professional jealousy as he has been passed over for promotion time and again, while “Lucky Tom” has been very successful in capturing prize money redeeming ships.

When Chessyre goes missing before the hearing ans later found dead, Seagrave’s situation goes from bad to worse. Despite being promised to be given Seagrave’s much superior ship if a guilty verdict is reached, Frank feels honor bound to clear his friend’s name and Jane is more than willing to aid him in this quest:

Jane not only bonds with Seagrave’s distraught wife Louisa (who is taking too much “health tonic” for her own good) but finds a way to visit the crew of the former French ship as a volunteer nurse.

During those missions of mercy, she comes across a French crewman that is clearly of the officer class, perhaps a ship’s doctor. His version of what happened during the siege contradicts Chessyre’s account and he is willing to testify under oath, provided that he would be allowed to stay in England.

The death of Chessyre complicates that plan and as it turns out, this new witness is more than he seems to be. Can Jane use her savvy skills to save both men before an undue justice is served?

Having Jane work with her brother Frank on this case adds a nice touch of swashbuckling to the proceedings here(including a rescue from a burning ship!) and the engaging supporting characters such as aloof widow Phoebe Carruthers, the remote yet distressed Louisa Seagrave and a very handy in a tight corner fellow known as the Bosun’s Mate enrich the story immensely.

It’s also nice to have a few moments of comic relief from Jane’s mother (who is quite the Mrs. Bennet inspiration indeed!). At one point, she hopes to match Jane up with the navy doctor attending the prisoners, something that neither party has in mind!  Fortunately, such ill conceived plans do not cause too much trouble there:

I have read some of this series out of order but when this triple play reading is complete, I will be ready to embrace what will be the very last Jane Austen mystery.

Jane and the Final Mystery is due out this October, where a gravely ill Miss Austen nonetheless takes up a search for a killer at her nephew’s boarding school. A fitting tale for Halloween and Austen fans alike, it seems.

It will be a sad ending for this series but not a miserable one by any means. Barron has enlivened the legacy of Jane Austen with these reimagined stories that both delight old fans and new, with the bonus of pleasing historical mystery readers as well. I am persuaded that this final mystery will do credit to both Austen’s work and Barron’s writing quite nicely:

In the meanwhile, my latest Series-ous Reading selection is Jane and the Ghosts of Netley,  where she becomes unexpectedly reunited with Lord Harold Trowbridge, Gentleman Rogue and secret spy in His Majesty’s service.

Their mutual target of inquiry is Lady Sophia Challoner , a widow with no love for English politics who may also be doing some sabotage for Napoleon’s government to boot.

She also happens to be living on an estate with possible haunting spirits and some all too real secret passages that would thrill the Scooby gang as well as Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey most suitably to be sure.

We shall soon see!: