Posts tagged with fiction in Blog Lost in the Stacks

In this mystery, one of a series set in Gilded Age New York, Prudence MacKenzie, a judge's daughter turned detective, and Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent, search for two missing children--a brother and sister--in the streets of New York. They learn that the missing girl has been sold into prostitution, and, with the help of historical figures such as Jacob Riis and Nellie Bly, attempt to rescue the children. The book paints a detailed portrait of life in New York in the 1890s, from the parlors of the wealthy to the sordid streets and alleyways of the tenements.

Matrix is a beautifully-written historical novel by Lauren Groff about the medieval abbess and poet Marie de France. Marie is cast out of the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, her sister-in-law, because she is considered unmarriageable, and sent to a remote abbey, where she eventually becomes the abbess and creates a utopian community of women, while struggling against harsh conditions and opposition from the church authorities. Groff writes in a poetic style that draws you into Marie's world.

Arsenic and Adobo is the first in a new mystery series featuring a Filipino American heroine, Lila Macapagal, who works in her family's restaurant. When her ex-boyfriend dies after eating a dessert in the restaurant, Lila is accused of the crime, and she has to find the real killer in order to clear her name and save the restaurant. The book's greatest strengths are the characters and the descriptions of Filipino food.

Half Life is a beautifully written historical novel with two parallel stories. One is about the famous scientist Marie Curie, and follows the events of her life: her marriage to Pierre Curie, her scientific discoveries, and her Nobel Prizes. The other is completely fictional and is about the woman Marie Curie might have become if she had stayed in Poland and married her first love. Both stories feature an admirable, brilliant woman as the protagonist. The real story and the fictional story are equally compelling.

In this mystery set in Brighton, England, in 1965, private detective Emma Holmes investigates the murder of a theatrical impresario. His wife, a former music hall star, is accused of killing him. To prove her innocence, she hires Emma and her partner in the firm, Samantha "Sam" Collins, to solve the crime. Emma is also the wife of the police superintendent, Edgar Stephens, and they decide to work together, along with a young police officer, Meg Connolly. Griffiths writes vividly about the world of theater, film, and television in England in the 1960s, in this entertaining mystery.

This sequel to The Three Musketeers continues the adventures of d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The new ruler of France is the cunning and manipulative Cardinal Mazarin. During a rebellion against his rule, the musketeers find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. They travel to England to save Charles I from execution, and fight against Mordaunt, the evil son of Milady, who is determined to avenge his mother's death.

This is a wonderful, complex historical novel about a group of Smith College graduates who go to France during World War I to give aid to French villagers whose homes were devastated by the German invasion. The novel focuses on Kate and Emmie, two friends from very different backgrounds, and how the tensions created during their time in the war zone threaten to destroy their friendship. Author Lauren Willig paints an unforgettable portrait of life in the war-torn French countryside.

Mistress of the Sun is a historical novel about Louise de la Vallière, the first mistress of Louis XIV. The daughter of an impoverished nobleman, Louise is an excellent horsewoman who, at the age of six, tames a wild stallion no one else has been able to tame. Later, she becomes lady-in-waiting to Louis XIV's sister-in-law, and finds herself drawn to the king, who shares her love of horses, and of reading. They keep their relationship a secret at first, then, when it comes out into the open, Louise becomes the object of intrigue at court. It is also during his relationship with Louise that Louis XIV transforms Versailles from a hunting lodge into a grand palace.

The Last Mona Lisa is a multi-layered thriller inspired by an actual event. In 1911, Vincent Peruggia, a former employee of the Louvre, stole the Mona Lisa and ransomed it to the Italian government. Ever since then, there have been rumors that the painting returned to the Louvre was a forgery. Santlofer invents a great-grandson of Peruggia, Luke Perrone, who finds his great-grandfather's diary and searches for the truth behind the theft. But danger awaits as a killer stalks him, and everyone who has touched the diary turns up dead. Will Luke discover the truth before he becomes the next victim?

In this mystery novel set in a seaside town in England, Harbinder Kaur, a gay Sikh police detective, investigates the murder of a ninety-year-old woman who had served as a "murder consultant" to mystery authors: helping them come up with ways to murder people. As Harbinder and three friends of the victim try to solve the crime, Harbinder discovers the victim may have been involved in espionage in Russia. Did someone take revenge? The plot takes many twists and turns. Griffiths also paints a vivid portrait of the world of crime fiction and the publishing industry. Harbinder is a strong character who faces prejudice in the police and elsewhere.