The Old(er)
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!
(Random House, 2007)
In the depths of a Beijing winter, during the waning days of Deng Xiaoping’s reign, the U.S. ambassador’s son is found dead–his body entombed in a frozen lake. Around the same time, aboard a ship adrift off the coast of Southern California, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Stark makes a startling discovery: the corpse of a Red Prince, a scion of China’s political elite.
The Chinese and American governments suspect that the deaths are connected and, in an unprecedented move, they join forces to see justice done. In Beijing, David teams up with the unorthodox police detective Liu Hulan. In an investigation that brings them to every corner of China and sparks an intense attraction between the two, David and Hulan discover a web linking human trafficking to the drug trade to governmental treachery–a web reaching from the Forbidden City to the heart of Los Angeles and, like the wide flower net used by Chinese fishermen, threatening to ensnare all within its reach. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love Lisa See. I was first introduced to her writing with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and I was so excited to find out she wrote a mystery series. I searched high and low to find them, including this one. And yet there it sits. Still on my shelf unread. One of these days . . .
Searching for Someday (Searching For #1) by Jennifer Probst (Simon & Schuster, 2013)
Kate has given up on love—at least for herself. She is both blessed and cursed with the ability to sense a romantic connection between two people—a gift that her family passed down for generations. When Kate launches her own matchmaking company, Kinnection, with her two best friends in a cozy New York town, she has to put aside her own romantic disasters to make her business a success.
But when a furious man stalks into her office and accuses her business of being a scam, Kate is given the ultimate challenge to prove herself. Slade puts himself in her hands and asks Kate to find him love. Enraged at his arrogance but stubbornly eager to prove herself, Kate agrees, dedicating herself to the journey of finding him love... only to find herself falling for him along the way. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I read a review somewhere of this one and, being that I was opening myself up to read more romance than I had in years, I thought this one sounded good. It still does.
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The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.
Release Date: November 27, 2018 by Berkley/Ace
A corrupt countessspy in dangerAnd an assassin at large
he fifth title in Genevieve Cogman's witty and wonderful Invisible Library series, The Mortal Word is a rollicking literary adventure.
Peace talks are always tricky, especially when a key diplomat gets stabbed. This rudely interrupts a top-secret summit between the warring dragons and Fae. As a neutral party, Librarian-spy Irene is summoned to investigate. She must head to a version of 1890s Paris, with her assistant Kai and her detective friend Vale, where these talks are fracturing. Here, she must get to the bottom of the attack – before either the peace negotiations or the city go up in flames.
Suspicions fly thick and fast and Irene soon finds herself in the seedy depths of the Parisian underworld. She’s on the trail of a notoriously warlike Fae, the Blood Countess. However, the evidence against the Countess is circumstantial. Could the killer be a member of the Library itself? [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: There isn't a question that I will read this. Oh my gosh, you guys! I love this series. I cannot wait for this one.
Release Date: November 27, 2018 by Kensington
In Gilded Age New York, heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter investigate crimes that take them from the slums of Five Points in lower Manhattan to the Fifth Avenue mansions of society's elite. In the late nineteenth century, women are particularly vulnerable . . .Why I want to read this: So I might have stopped reading right after the mention of Pinkerton, even if an ex-agent, and decided this deserved a place on my wish list. Prudence sounds pretty cool herself and I do love a good historical mystery.
LET THE DEAD KEEP THEIR SECRETS
Childbirth can be dangerous even for the wealthy. So when opera singer Claire Buchanan shows Prudence and Geoffrey a postmortem cabinet photograph of her deceased twin sister and newborn niece, they express sadness but not surprise. The popular black-bordered portraits are the era's way of coping with the devastating losses that plague every family. What makes this death different is that Claire is convinced Catherine and her child were murdered.
Prudence's friend is haunted by a sense of her sister's lingering presence, and by the conviction that her dead twin is demanding justice. Catherine's widower, Aaron Sorensen, is a cold, controlling man who swiftly remarried. Now his second wife is already pregnant and may be in terrible danger. In order to discover the truth and find evidence of Sorensen's guilt, Geoffrey will delve deep into his past while Prudence casts herself as his next victim—putting her own life at grave risk . . . [Goodreads Summary]
Do any of these books appeal to you? Have you read them?
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Ooh The Invisible Library is on book #5! Wow, I've only read the first one- yikes I'm behind!
ReplyDeleteI think Searching for Someday sounds the most interesting. I love matchmaking books. Don't know how many I've read though. I think Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets sounds interesting and would be more out of my comfort zone.
ReplyDeletehttps://happilyreadingeverafter.blogspot.com/2018/10/cant-wait-wednesday-2-five-poisoned.html
I haven't heard of The Invisible Library series before. It sounds like an incredible series that I should pick up one of these days. Thanks so much for sharing it. :)
ReplyDeleteI've read Flower Net a long time ago and as I remember, it was good. I think Lisa See wrote 3 in the series maybe? I also want to read the Simpson book. There is at least one previous book. I saw the author at the mystery conference last spring.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea that she can find people a match and started a business. That's a bit different. I don't even think I have read anything by Jennifer Probst. I might have to start with that one. Great picks this week.
ReplyDeleteMary
I'd like to read any and all Lisa See books that I've missed.
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind on The Invisible Library books - like 5 behind. In fact, I'll probably need to reread books 1. I do remember the crocodiles in the ballroom though so all is not lost.
ReplyDeleteWendy, I have to know---is the Invisible Library actually an INVISIBLE library?! It sounds SO intriguing :)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that Lisa See wrote a mystery series! Well, now I want to read it too! And, the Simpson book sounds really good too.
ReplyDeleteThese all sound good, the Lisa See, especially! I had no idea she wrote a mystery series, and now I need to search for this one, too. I hope it lives up to expectations and you have a great read!
ReplyDeleteI've heard so many things about Genevieve Cogman's series, I'm sad I haven't started it yet. I hope you love this one!
ReplyDeleteOooooh that reminds me that I need to read more of the Invisible Library series! The first book was so good!
ReplyDeleteLisa See's mystery sounds fascinating too - I hope you get to read it soon!
Your older books aren't on my radar screen, but both of your new selections intrigue me. I'm already on the library hold list for Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets, and your other choice reminds me that I need to start that series.
ReplyDeleteSearching for Someday sounds so good! I love books that feature matchmaking agencies. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteLisa See is on my to read list. LOL, I've worked hard to find a book only to put it on the shelf and let it linger, too. What is wrong with us? ;)
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to start reading The Mortal Word! I love that series so much. I haven't tried Lisa See but I do like the sound of the book that you featured.
ReplyDeleteThe Invisible Library series is one that I've been meaning to start for ages and still haven't gotten around to it. It sounds so good though.
ReplyDeleteWow, I am more behind than I thought! Thank you all for dropping in and for your comments!
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