Book Review: The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer

The Medici Manuscript
Author: C. J. Archer
Series: The Glass Library (Book 2)
Publication: Self-Published (March 7, 2023)

Description: One book can change your life.

Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.

The silver clasps binding the pages contain rare magic – the same magic that might run through Sylvia’s veins. To discover a link to her ancestors means understanding the book itself, but it’s written in a code that proves difficult to crack. The only thing she knows for certain is that it was once owned by the Medicis, the powerful family that controlled Renaissance Florence.

With the help of Gabe and his friends, Sylvia investigates the book’s origins. But following the clues throws up more questions – questions they need help answering. Trusting others is not Sylvia’s strong suit, but with Gabe at her side, she becomes capable and confident. Until their trust is shattered when the book is stolen.

Uncovering the thief proves dangerous, particularly when someone is also trying to kidnap Gabe. With his own mysteries to unravel, Gabe’s private life becomes more complicated. Sylvia tries to keep her distance but staying away from someone as magnetic as Gabe is impossible.

With so many distractions, can they find the thief before the book is lost forever? Or will the secrets contained within its pages remain unsolved and will Sylvia’s past continue to be a mystery?

My Thoughts: The second book in The Glass Library fantasy series centers around the discovery of a book in code that might unlock some secrets about Sylvia's past. Sylvia came to London after the deaths of her brother and mother to try to find out about her heritage. Her mother kept the three of them moving from place to place all through her life and didn't share any information with her children about her own past. Her brother began to believe that they were the descendants of a silver magician. Sylvia wants to find out if this is true.

As a result of the influence of new friend Gabriel Glass, Sylvia is now working at a job she loves in the Glass Library which is a repository of books about magic. When a new book is discovered in the library's attic, Sylvia and her new friends try to find out the book's history and try to decipher its contents which are written in an unknown code. 

This story is set in 1920 and does deal with a lot of the issues returning soldiers had. Shell shock and a sense of hedonism were just some of things soldiers brought home with them. And for women who had entered the workplace while the men were away, there is a sense of displacement as they lose their jobs and purposes when the men return. One of the characters mentions that he hadn't been sober since his demobilization, for example. Add in magic which has recently been rediscovered and which only a small percent of the population has, and this story becomes historical fantasy. 

Gabriel is also in the process of ending his three-year engagement to the daughter of a magical family. He knows he made a mistake and isn't the man he was when he became engaged. However, his fiance Ivy isn't going to go quietly. Gabriel, the only son of a noble magical house, is quite a catch even though he believes that he has no magic himself. 

When the book is stolen, Gabriel and Sylvia and their friends follow all sorts of clues and explore various parts of London before they manage to recover it. And an assortment of bright friends of Gabriel do manage a translation of what turns out to be medieval/early Renaissance gossip. Translating the book is sort of anticlimax since the key seems to be Sylvia discovering that she does have some sort of magic if not the silver magic her brother thought the family had. 

This is the second book of a five-book series. It really doesn't stand alone well and needs to be read along with the other books in the series. I am eager to continue the series to find out what sort of magic Sylvia has and whether her budding relationship with Gabriel grows.

Favorite Quote:

He laughed softly. "Is it just me, or are there more eccentric people now than before the war?"

"I've noticed it too. It's as if people were hiding their true selves, but can no longer keep up the pretense. Or they simply don't want to. I like it this way. I like seeing people as they truly are."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

"Moving pictures are the future," Daisy declared, "and I want to be in one."

Friday 56:

Whether he could or couldn't read them himself, I wanted to know more about Sir Andrew Sidwell. Not only could he be a direct link to the silver magician who's made the clasps, he was also a link to the book's contents.

This week I am spotlighting The Medici Manuscript by C. J. Archer. This is the second book in the Glass Library five-book series. It had been on my Amazon wishlist since I read the first book last April. A double-point Kindle Rewards deal had me adding it to my stack.

Here's the description from Amazon:

One book can change your life.

Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.

The silver clasps binding the pages contain rare magic – the same magic that might run through Sylvia’s veins. To discover a link to her ancestors means understanding the book itself, but it’s written in a code that proves difficult to crack. The only thing she knows for certain is that it was once owned by the Medicis, the powerful family that controlled Renaissance Florence.

With the help of Gabe and his friends, Sylvia investigates the book’s origins. But following the clues throws up more questions – questions they need help answering. Trusting others is not Sylvia’s strong suit, but with Gabe at her side, she becomes capable and confident. Until their trust is shattered when the book is stolen.

Uncovering the thief proves dangerous, particularly when someone is also trying to kidnap Gabe. With his own mysteries to unravel, Gabe’s private life becomes more complicated. Sylvia tries to keep her distance but staying away from someone as magnetic as Gabe is impossible.

With so many distractions, can they find the thief before the book is lost forever? Or will the secrets contained within its pages remain unsolved and will Sylvia’s past continue to be a mystery?

Audiobook Review: Bastion by Mercedes Lackey

Bastion
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Nick Podehl
Series: Collegium Chronicles (Book 5)
Publication: Audible Studios (October 1, 2013)
Length: 11 hours and 13 minutes

Description: Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere--why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along.

With Herald Jadrek, Herald Kylan (the Weaponsmaster's chosen successor), and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected.

My Thoughts: BASTION ends the five-book story arc that tells Mags' story. From abused mine slave to Herald of Valdemar is quite a journey and it was fascinating watching him grow up and come into his own. Throughout the whole series we have watched Mags search for his history. In this episode we finally find out about his people.

Mags has escaped from the people who kidnapped him, but he is afraid that he brought trouble back with him to the Collegium in Valdemar. He is very worried about Amily, the young woman he loves, and his friends becoming targets. He did gain a promise from his kidnappers to stop trying to assassinate the Crown that Mags is sworn to protect. 

So a plot is hatched. Mags will go out on circuit with a mentor as most young heralds do and along the way he will "die." His friends will also get out of town for various reasons of their own. They will meet up and hope to elude the assassins. They will be patrolling the north of Valdemar including the Bastion which used to be a bandit hide-out. The same bandits who killed his parents. Mags is hoping to find some clues about them. 

He and his mentor weren't expecting to find an area that was hostile to heralds and many problems to solve. Nor was he expecting to find the family that he had wondered about for years. His cousin Bey is a fascinating character who tries to convince Mags to come "home" with him and be part of the assassin's guild that Bey hopes to take over. 

This story had romance as Mags and Amily finally get together. It had danger as Mags and company had to fight off assassins who also wanted to take Mags home with them. It was a nice conclusion to a story arc.

I bought this one at Audible. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

A Midnight Puzzle
Author: Gigi Pandian
Series: Secret Staircase Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (March 19, 2024)

Description: In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business―known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls―is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.

When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater―only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.

Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery.

My Thoughts: The third book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries was another twisty puzzle of a mystery.

Tempest Raj is enjoying her new career as a designer for her family's construction business. But all is not well with the business. A former client Julian Rhodes is suing the company for shoddy craftsmanship after his wife fell down the new staircase. Tempest and her family are sure that Rhodes attempted to murder his wife and damaged the staircase himself. But his fleet of lawyers may force the company to settle. 

Then Julian Rhodes is murdered and left hanging, sword in chest, from the venue where Tempest has been planning the finale to her career as a stage magician. A booby trap in the same place injures a paramedic who is ministering to Rhodes and also damages the hand of Tempest's mentor Nicodemus the Necromancer when the two go to check out the site. 

When Nicodemus's assistant Brodie is also found dead in a locked room mystery - found on the dust covered floor of a hidden stage at the theater - Tempest and her group of friends have another mystery to solve. 

Tempest has a long-ago mystery to solve which has great impact on her life. A supposed curse has claimed the oldest child in a magical accident back to the days of her great-grandparents. It cost her the life of her aunt in Scotland who suffered a tragic accident while performing a new trick at her magic show. And it cost the life of Tempest's mother who disappeared in the same theater where Tempest was planning her final show because her mother was going to reveal who killed her sister. 

It has always been Tempest's goal to find out who killed her aunt and her mother and this story lets her finally reach that goal and solve the two new murder too. 

I enjoyed the twisty plot and the magical tricks in this story. I love the setting and Tempest's new career. I like her close family and interesting assortment of friends. While this book resolves the mystery that Tempest has been working on through the first three books, it isn't the end of the series. Her next case walks in the door at the end of the book. 

Favorite Quote:

"If she had rigged booby traps before she died and they only got triggered now for some reason, then how did she hang an axe from the ceiling with fishing wire without anyone seeing it for more than five years?"

Sanjay shrugged. "Since when do people on the internet make any sense?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs

The Stars Turned Inside Out
Author: Nova Jacobs
Publication: Atria Books (March 19, 2024)

Description: The discovery of a suspicious death at a famous Swiss physics laboratory sparks a mystery that merges science, philosophy, and the high-stakes race to unlock the fundamental nature of our universe in this thrilling new novel from the Edgar Award–nominated author of the “hugely entertaining” (The Wall Street Journal) The Last Equation of Isaac Severy.

Deep beneath the ground outside of Geneva, where CERN’s Large Hadron Collider smashes subatomic particles at breathtaking speeds, a startling discovery is made when the tunnel is down for maintenance: the body of Howard Anderby, a brilliant and recently arrived young physicist, who appears to have been irradiated by the collider. But security shows no evidence of him entering the tunnel, and for all of the lab’s funding, its video surveillance is sorely lacking.

Eager to keep the death under wraps until more is known, CERN brings in private investigator Sabine Leroux, who has her own ties to the lab’s administration—and more than a passing interest in particle physics. Meanwhile, Howard’s colleague and budding love interest Eve, shattered by his death, determines to reconcile what she knew of Howard with his gruesome fate, wondering if she could have done something to stop it.

As Sabine digs into petty academic rivalries and personal secrets, an escalating international physics arms race heightens tensions and fuels speculation of a mole at the lab—throwing into question loyalties and revealing what sort of knowledge may be worth killing for.

My Thoughts: The first thing I have to say about this story is that it contains a lot of Physics -- really, really a lot. I know nothing about Physics having managed to dodge the subject in high school, college, and graduate school. The story is also a mystery which is a genre I read and enjoy.

When the body of a young, brilliant physicist is found in the tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the director calls in her college friend Sabine Leroux, a private investigator, to determine not only how Howard Anderby died but how he found himself in the tunnel in the first place. Sabine studied Physics in college but decided that police work and later private investigation were the career for her. She sees much similarity between her job and the jobs of scientists. Fearing for CERN's funding, the director would greatly prefer not to have to call in the police.

As Sabine investigates, she finds herself dealing with all sorts of academic rivalries and secrets as she tries to learn about the life of a man who was very good at keeping his own secrets. Luckily for us readers, the story is also told in part by Eve who is another physicist at CERN. Eve also had a relationship with Howard and has more insight into his mind than anyone at the lab. The story also includes a large number of flashbacks detailing Eve and Howard's growing relationship and Howard's relationship with some of the others at CERN. 

But when a second physicist is murdered and his body shows on a live stream of a tank built to capture dark matter, it is impossible to keep the police away from CERN. The second death also shifts the investigation to missing data from the lab and the scientific rivalries between the EU, China and Russia. Spies and moles and traitors to CERN are revealed in the conclusion of this mystery.

Once I allowed myself to skim lightly over the physics and the philosophy, I enjoyed this story. The characters were what kept me reading when the science went too far over my head. I recommend this one especially to science nerds, but mystery lovers will enjoy it too. 

Favorite Quote:

One night, Mary Shelley looked out on a view not unlike this one and conceived a terrible monster named Dr. Frankenstein. Because, of course, the real monster of that story was not a revivified corpse but a scientist stripped of all humanity. Sometimes Sabine wondered that if Shelley was to be credited with the invention of science fiction, might she be equally to blame for the insidious stereotype of the heartless scientist?

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett

The Love Remedy
Author: Elizabeth Everett
Series: The Damsels of Discovery (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (March 19, 2024)

Description: When a Victorian apothecary hires a stoic private investigator to protect her business, they learn there’s only one way to treat true love—with a happily ever after.

When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?

A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.

With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is clear: they must face the future together.

My Thoughts: This story takes place in the same world as Everett's The Secret Scientists of London and stars Lucinda Peterson who is an apothecary and Jon Thorne who is a former prize fighter turned private investigator. 

Lucinda is outraged that her recipe for a cough lozenge was stolen by the man she was dating and turned into big money for him. When her formula for a croup remedy goes missing, she naturally suspects the ex. She hires Jon Thorne to find her missing formula and find out if it was the ex who stole it. 

Thorne takes the case, but he has no intention of falling for Lucinda. He's sworn off beautiful women and many other things including alcohol, music, and dancing in his quest to make a good life for his illegitimate daughter Sadie. Since his relationship with Sadie's mother - a beautiful member of the demimondaine- failed, Thorne has tried to create a safe though constrained world for himself and his daughter. 

Lucy has been burned in the romance department too. Her suitor dropped her and declared her unmarriageable after they had a physical relationship. Then he stole her formula for cough lozenges. However, sparks fly as the investigation continues causing Thorne to question his old promises. There is a lot to investigate here beyond the former suitor. A growing political organization which targets women who work outside the home has set its sights on Lucy's pharmacy and the free clinic where her sister works caring for poor women. Lucy's own brother is keeping secrets which causes Thorne to suspect him for a while. 

This was almost more a social commentary than a historical romance. Lucy's belief in women's rights to control their own reproductive rights conflicts with Thorne's Victorian beliefs that women - good women - should let their husbands or fathers manage their lives and sex outside of marriage makes a woman unwomanly. 

Fans of Everett's other books will enjoy this return to the setting of her earlier books. Fans of romances with a bit of kinky sex will also enjoy it. 

Favorite Quote:

"I'm an apothecary, not a master criminal," she said. 

"True," he said, shaking his head. "You are not even a mediocre criminal."

Stupid to feel offended, but Lucy bristled none the less. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Peril In Pink by Sydney Leigh

Peril in Pink
Author: Sydney Leigh
Series: Hudson Valley B&Bs Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (March 19, 2024)

Description: Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning.

Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery.

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.

With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.

My Thoughts: Jess Byrne has moved from California back to her hometown in New York to open a B&B with her best friend Kat. The opening is set and totally instagram worthy. She has even convinced her ex-boyfriend and rising music star Lars Armstrong to perform. Unfortunately, he is accompanied by his stepfather/manager Bob who is an object of hatred in the town. 

When Bob is found murdered, it looks like The Pearl's grand opening is going to be a failure. In order to save her business and save her ex from being arrested for the murder, Jess will have to become a sleuth. She has a large number of suspects since many of the guests at the opening had reasons to want Bob dead. 

Things get even worse when a second murder occurs and Lars is found standing over the body,

This was an entertaining start to a new cozy mystery series. Jess is an engaging character and is surrounded by a cast of interesting people from her retired high school principal mother to her Deadhead Aunt and her bartender brother and new wife yoga guru. There is even a potential love interest in the police detective assigned to the case.

Fans of cozies will enjoy this one. 

Favorite Quote:

He snorted. "The Momfia strikes again, huh? Impressive." The Momfia was the nickname we'd given my mom and her circle of friends, who seemed capable of accomplishing anything they put their minds to, from convincing a professor to expand his class for a few needy students to barring the building of a well-known hotel chain in our charming little town."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.