Weekly Mews: My Thoughts on The Wolf Den Trilogy, Being Mortal, & The Mystery Guest (& What Everyone Else is Reading)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

We are approaching the end of January, and I cannot tell you whether this month has gone by fast or slow. Sometimes it feels like one or the other and rarely in between. I have been moderating my news intake, wanting to stay informed but also not be overwhelmed. It is hard not to be overwhelmed though, feeling sadness, anger, and dread set in. I cannot imagine my father and grandfather, both veterans, would have been happy with the state of the U.S. right now if they were alive. They did not serve their country for this.

I find solace in my reading and with my family. After a day of running errands yesterday, I settled in to finish reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose, while my husband and daughter entertained themselves listening to music, following along and reading the conductor's score which they had up on the television set. I am not even close to being well-versed in reading music, but I love that they are. They were a distraction from my reading, but I did not mind at all. I made the mistake of affectionately calling them my music nerds and was quickly corrected. My daughter preferring "fangirling over music" while my husband called it "geeking out over music." 

Today has been lowkey. I am doing laundry as I try to rush out this post to you--even as late as it is. 

What have you been up to? I hope you are well!

I just started Home and Away by Rochelle Alers, a dual narrative novel about a present day journalist and her great-grandfather's recollections of the his years with the Negro Baseball Leagues during the 1930's and 1940's. I will soon be cracking open Murder in the Dressing Room, a cozy mystery by Holly Stars. I also hope to read Heartstoppers, Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman this week. 

What are you reading right now? Is it something you would recommend?

This past week I finished three books. Let's take a look! 

The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose
Ballantine Books, 2023
Mystery/Cozy; 289 pgs
Source: From the publisher via NetGalley

When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it's up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty. [From the Publisher]

Many thanks to everyone who voted for The Mystery Guest in my January TBR poll this month! It was a delight to read. This is a billed as a stand alone novel featuring Molly Gray, a character introduced in Nita Prose's mystery novel, The Maid, which I read three years ago and enjoyed immensely. The Mystery Guest is set four years after the events in The Maid. Molly Gray takes her role as Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel very seriously. She is neurodivergent and struggles to read social and conversational cues, but she is extremely observant, often noticing details others miss or overlook. When a famous mystery author drops dead just as he is about to make a big announcement to his adoring fans in the hotel's newly refurbished tearoom, Molly and her maid-in-training, Lily, are among the prime suspects in his murder. 

I love the humor dispersed throughout the novel. Molly is as unconventional a character as she is endearing, with her quirks and resilience. It turns out she and Mr. Grimthorpe, the murdered author, knew each other when she was a child, although he didn't recognize her when they meet again at the hotel. Through flashbacks, the reader is given a glimpse into Molly's past, including her memories of her beloved Gran, who raised her. Gran is ever present in Molly's life even if just in her memories. The lessons and love she bestowed on Molly played a big role in who Molly is today. The reader also gains more insight into Molly and her family history, adding emotional depth to the characters. In addition, the more we learn about the Grimthorpes, the family her Gran once served as a housemaid, the more light is shed on just what type of person Mr. Grimthorpe was and why someone might want him dead. 

There are familiar side characters like Angela, the bartender, and Mr. Snow, the hotel manager, the annoying Cheryl--and my favorite, Mr. Preston, the hotel's doorman--who I was glad to see again (well, maybe not Cheryl). Detective Stark was back, having made her first appearance in The Maid. What I especially appreciated in The Mystery Guest was how Detective Stark's character grew over the course of the novel. Everyone underestimates Molly, and Detective Stark was among them, misjudging Molly in The Maid, and again in The Mystery Guest--at least at first--but once she gets to know Molly better, she realizes how valuable her skills and way of looking at things can be. 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Mystery Guest. It was a solid mystery that pulled at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and was an all around entertaining read. I look forward to seeing what Nita Prose has in store for us next!

*

The Wolf Den Trilogy by Elodie Harper (Union Square & Co; Historical Fiction)

The Wolf Den (#1) (2021; 422 pgs)

The House with the Golden Door (Wolf Den #2) (2022; 474 pgs)

The Temple of Fortuna (Wolf Den #3) (2023; 352 pgs)

[While I attempted to avoid including major spoilers, I am reviewing all three books below. The first part of the review is generalized, and then I break it down by each book]

In anticipation of this month's historical book club read, The Temple of Fortuna, I read the first two books in the trilogy on my own late last year. Together, these books paint an amazing portrait of the life and times in Pompeii from the eyes of often overlooked women. Her descriptions of Pompeii, her characters, and their lives came off the pages and stayed with me even when I was not reading. The Wolf Den Trilogy is well-researched and based on factual events and discoveries. While none of the main characters were real life people, there were a few important side characters that were real. I was enamored by the descriptions of Pompeii and Rome, the architecture, the murals, and the lives of the people. Elodie Harper brought all of that to life. 

The novels' characters are multi-layered and well-developed. The main focus is on Amara, but so many of the other characters stand out as well, some I came to love even more, like Britannica, who was by far my favorite. And oh, how I loathed Felix, Amara's pimp and nemesis, throughout the trilogy. I had no idea Julia Felix was a real historical figure until I read the author's acknowledgements. How I loved her and Livia! 

The trilogy starts with the novel, The Wolf Den, in which the reader is introduced to Amara, once the beloved child of a doctor in Greece, sold by her impoverished mother as a concubine, and later enslaved in a brothel in Pompeii. Amara hates her life as a prostitute and despises her pimp even more. She is ambitious and resourceful, determined to find her way out of her current situation, even as impossible as that may seem. 

The women of that time had little freedom, even when they were free. Through Elodie Harper's novels, we see how strong the bonds of friendship can be and also how fragile in the most desperate or darkest of situations. Forced together by circumstance in the brothel, we see friendships bloom, the women trying to make the most of their situations and look out for each other. 

There is a lot of loss in the first novel of the trilogy. The Wolf Den was at times desperately sad, these women's situation often feeling helpless. It gets worse before it gets better for Amara, with the loss of a dear friend nearly breaking her. My heart broke over and over for these women. 

The second novel, The House with the Golden Door, brought some hope in the way of Amara's promotion to the life of a courtesan. While technically now free, she is still beholden to a man, this time in the form of her patron. It takes time for Amara to adjust to her life away from the brothel. She misses her old friends and feels alone. She, however, is able to make new connections and find a way to solidify her position. Or so it seems. Her position is still precarious. She must keep her patron's interest to maintain her new lifestyle, and she quickly begins to realize that is easier said than done. He isn't the man she thought he was. Amara must be resourceful and cunning if she wants to survive. Friendships are tested and Amara has more difficult choices to make. Although I enjoyed this second novel in the trilogy a lot, I did not find it quite as good as the first. I questioned some of Amara's choices, feeling that they put her more at risk than was wise. While the first book made me sad, this second was full of tense, hair pulling moments. 

The Temple of Fortuna finds Amara in Rome, with a new more wealthy and powerful patron. Someone who admires her skills and intelligence. Demetrius is much older than Amara and not the love match she perhaps would hope for, but he does provide for her and respects her in a way her previous patron did not. Demetrius is not cruel, but he is detached and sometimes cold. Amara knows he cares about her, but is not sure he is capable of loving her. When he unknowingly places her in a dangerous position that threatens their safety, he sends her back to Pompeii temporarily, but not before asking her to marry him. Returning to Pompeii is both a joy and a hardship. Amara is happy to return to old friends, but she also must face the guilt she has for leaving behind her young daughter and the girl's father. Their lives are so much different now, her daughter doesn't even know her. And then there is Felix who will never leave her alone. 

Let's not forget, however, that the trilogy is set in 79 CE. In this final book of the trilogy, Pompeii meets its end with the eruption of Pompeii. The panic, fear and devastation from the volcano's eruption described in the pages of the book were visceral. It made the tension I felt reading The House with the Golden Door seem so minor in comparison. Based on her research, Elodie Harper describes what she believed the experience might have been like for her characters as well as the recovery process that followed.

There is more I want to say, but I suppose we already are in spoiler territory. If Fortuna existed, it could be said she had a hand in how certain events played out. I found The Temple of Fortuna to be a satisfying ending to the trilogy--perhaps my favorite of the three because of it. 

I have so many thoughts about this entire trilogy and so many different aspects I could write about. I talked about these books as I was reading them so much that even my husband became interested in learning more about Pompeii and the recent findings found among the ruins. I highly recommend this series to historical fiction lovers.

*

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
Metropolitan Books, 2014
Nonfiction (Health/Sociology/Science); 282 pgs
Source: Own TBR/Gift

In Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending. [From the Publisher]

Death and dying are difficult topics to talk about, and even more to face, and yet it is a part of all of our lives. With empathy and compassion, Atul Gawande offers a glimpse at the history of the care for those who are terminally ill and the elderly reaching the end of their lives, and how medicine has shaped that process, for both good and bad. I went into this book expecting it to be depressing and sad, and while it was sad, in a strange way, it was, at times, comforting. 

Medicine is a wonderful thing, meant to help fix problems and cure diseases. But there comes a time when we have to question whether medicine is doing more harm than good, when quality is sacrificed at the expense of prolonging life. The medical profession is not set up to stop trying to fix the patient, and Dr. Gawande suggests this is a problem. Where do you draw the line between extending life that only extends suffering? The answer may vary from individual to individual. It is a personal choice, the answer different for everyone. It's all about choices and deciding what is important to us. 

Having a doctor who is willing to listen and take our concerns, fears, and wishes into consideration is ideal, but unfortunately not always reality. The author talks about a variety of different approaches doctors take with their patients, some more effective than others. Some doctors make all the decisions, the Doctor Knows Best approach, while other doctors leave the decision entirely to the patient, giving them all the options available, which can be overwhelming. Ultimately, what works best, he says, is when the doctor offers information, choices, and guidance, a combination of both. He discussed how important listening to the patient is and how the language used in how patients are approached can make a huge difference in providing them the support and comfort they need. 

Dr. Gawande's research lead him to communities in which the infirm and dependent elderly could live a more socially fulfilling life. One where they can maintain some semblance of independence. He writes at length about the value of palliative care, including hospice, and how it can provide a dignified and more comfortable way for the dying to spend their final weeks or days. And in some instances, people can have both, treatment and palliative care, which research has shown can decrease hospital visits, expenses, and increase the quality of a person's life.

It was impossible not to relate this book to my own family. In reflecting back to my grandmother's slow decline, her dementia and the type of care she received in the 1990's, to my father's sudden passing over 13 years ago, even with his health issues leading up to it, and to my father-in-law's drawn out death due to metastatic lung cancer the year before last. I also couldn't help but think of my mom. She is able to live independently, but slowing down, with health issues cropping up. We are all getting older. As he often does, my husband listened to my thoughts on the books as I read, and we shared some of our own fears and wishes. Neither one of us has completed our Advance Health Care Directives yet, but I think I am ready. I started to once but became overwhelmed. I appreciated Dr. Gawande's more compassionate approach on such a difficult subject matter and can only hope that there are more doctors like him out there and that communities like those he wrote about, those focusing on quality of life, continue to flourish and become more of the norm. Challenge Read: 2025 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

What was the last book you finished? Would you recommend it?  

Where I share what everyone else in my family is reading

~ Mouse ~

The Strange House, Vol. 1 by Uketsu, illustrated by Kyo Ayano

Haikyu!!, Vol. 1 by Haruichi Furudate

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Sequence, #1) by Susan Cooper

~ Anjin's Reads ~

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and the Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier

Too Many Heroines!, Vol. 2 by Takibi Amamori, translated by Imigimuru

~ My Mom ~

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz - With all the worries and stressors in life, 

I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. As I lay reading in bed last night, it started to rain outside. Such a beautiful sound! It rained again not too long ago. The perfect Sunday. 

2. My historical book club met late yesterday afternoon to discuss The final book in The Wolf Den Trilogy, The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper. We had a good discussion. We spent a little time looking over maps of Pompei, including photos of the ruins, which was fun.

3. Anjin, Mouse, and I visited our local independent bookstore this weekend to pick up my pre-order that had come in (I'll share that next weekend) along with a few other books we found. It's always a pleasure to chat with the staff--and I got $10 off my purchase! 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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