A New Favorite Mystery! --"The Inklings Detective Agency" by John R. Kelly—Review

 My Review: “The Inklings Detective Agency" by John R. Kelly is a new favorite mystery of mine and worthy of the literary greats that inhabit its pages! I could tell just from the first few chapters that this book was a winner. The incredible writing pulled me in, along with the awesome characters (many beloved literary legends) and its premise. The author obviously knows his stuff and would make any die-hard Inklings fan proud with this book (I am a huge Tolkien nerd myself and loved the many literary quotes and Easter eggs). The story is rich with history and some great settings, from the Kilns to the Bodleian library, Oxford, London, and Scotland. I love that other literary figures also make cameos—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie. I think this book will be loved equally by men and women (I must hide it from my husband). The actual mystery is exciting and kept me on my toes. The author’s notes at the end were fascinating and a lot are based on historical people and events, including a detective club with Agatha Christie, Sayers, and Chesterton. The mystery itself does involve some darker aspects, including the occult (see content notes below), but it never got too dark for me, and it is all told from a Christian perspective. I love that Lewis prays with one of the people he interviews when the person gets emotional. There is a great theme of the light shining through the darkness. Now I feel like the Inklings are lovable friends. Please, please let there be many more mysteries for the Inklings to solve! I am so excited to read about their next case and to see if their “Moriarty” will show up again. All the stars!

Content: I give this a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content: characters drink alcohol and mention of people being drunk; mention of smoking and gambling; prostitutes and a mistress; substance abuse; joke about a seance; pipe smoking; mention of a ghost; the words “bloody” and “bastard” are used; mention of divination; mention of the occult; mention of insanity and an asylum; mention of someone being bisexual.

TW: speculation of su*cide; past depression; talk of beating a child; past abuse; past addict.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

 

Jane Austen and Tea? Yes please!--"Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility" Review by Hillary Manton Lodge

I was so excited when I first heard about this book!  I am a huge Jane Austen fan.  My husband's go-to gift for me is Jane Austen paraphernalia.  Plus I am a big tea drinker.  To top it off my favorite of Jane Austen's works (at the moment) is "Sense and Sensibility," and "Jane of Austin" is a retelling of that book.  Even though I don't normally read a lot of contemporary novels, I knew I would love this one, which I did!

 "Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility" by Hillary Manton Lodge is a modern day retelling of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility."  I loved seeing the parallels between the two books as I was reading.  Ms. Lodge also includes nods to some of Austen's other works, which any "Janeite" will appreciate.  The main character, Jane, correlates to the character of Marianne from the original “Sense and Sensibility.”  It is really fascinating to see this story told from Jane's perspective, whereas in the original, it is mostly told from her sister’s perspective.  Jane is very witty and sarcastic.  The story sometimes switches to the perspective of Callum, one of our heroes.  A lot of people don't like these characters in the original "Sense and Sensibility."  I think Ms. Lodge gives readers a fresh take on the story by offering things from their points of view and fleshing out their characters a bit more.  I was certainly rooting for these two characters in the story!

 Another element of the story that makes it very interesting and unique is the tea.  The main characters make tea and own a tea shop.  There are recipes throughout the book that correlate with the story and what the characters are making.  I really enjoy hearing about the tea making process, specifically how the main character harvests the leaves and makes the different blends.  Tea making is a real art.  The quotes at the beginning of most of the chapters were also a fun addition.

 Content and Rating: I give this book 4.5 stars.  It is a clean read.  I would specifically recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen, retellings, and women's fiction. 

 Click here for more info and to purchase the book: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/538834/jane-of-austin-by-hillary-manton-lodge/

About the Author:

Hillary Manton Lodge is the author of Plain Jayne, a Carol Award Finalist, and Simply Sara, an ECPA bestselling book. A graduate of the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism, Hillary discovered the world of cuisine during her internship at Northwest Palate magazine. A storyteller at heart, in her free time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, watching foreign films, and exploring new walking trails. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon.  Click here for more info on the author. 

Author Website: http://www.hillarymantonlodge.com/

 Click here to read the first chapter

I want to thank Hillary Manton Lodge, Waterbrook Press, and Blogging for Books for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.