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Book Review: Secret of Ron Mor Skerry

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Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry

Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry
by Rosalie K. Fry
5 out of 5 stars
Fiona’s family left their ancient home on the Ron Mor Island, and Fiona’s little brother, Jamie, was lost. Now Fiona is staying with her grandparents on the Western Islands of Scotland. Fiona is certain that she can find her lost brother, and she befriends a tribe of seals who seem to guide her in her search. The family legends speak of a selkie woman who married into their family many generations ago, and Fiona will have to return to Ron Mor to unravel the past and bring her family together again.

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Book Review: Go Back for Murder

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Go Back for Murder by Agatha Christie

Go Back for Murder
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars

Carla has just come of age, and is told of the true dark past of her family. Her mother was convicted of poisoning her father and died in prison when Carla was only five years old. But before she died, Carla’s mother wrote a letter to her daughter, to be opened on her 21st birthday, explaining that she was innocent and had not poisoned her husband. Now Carla is interviewing all the people who were present when her father was poisoned, trying to find out the truth. Who really poisoned her father, and why did her mother seem content to take the blame?

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Book Review: The Courage of Sarah Noble

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The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

The Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh, Leonard Weisgard (Illustrations)
5 out of 5 stars
Sarah Noble accompanies her father to the wilderness of Connecticut to build a new cabin before they are joined by the rest of the family. A Native American tribe lives nearby on the banks of the river, and Sarah befriends the native children. Through every step of their journey and as the family settles into their new home, Sarah’s courage is tested, but she curtails her fears, and remains steadfast and resilient through it all.

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Book Review: Verdict

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Verdict by Agatha Christie

Verdict
by Agatha Christie
3 out of 5 stars

Professor Hendryk’s wife is an invalid. Mrs. Hendryk’s cousin, Lisa, lives with the family as a companion and nurse for her. When Mrs. Hendryk is found dead, poisoned by an overdose of her heart medicine, Lisa comes under suspicion. Professor Hendryk’s own ideals of morality and mercy will get him into trouble, since he refuses to report something he knows about the murder.

I don’t think this can really be called a mystery, since the audience knows from the beginning who the murderer is because the murder happens onstage in full view, and then the murderer confesses to another character, so most of the characters also know who the murderer is. The only people who don’t know are the police.

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Book Review: Witness for the Prosecution

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Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie

Witness for the Prosecution: A Play in Three Acts
by Agatha Christie
4 out of 5 stars

Young Leonard has been arrested for murder. He befriended an old lady, who changed her will and then was murdered under mysterious circumstances. The housekeeper says that she heard Leonard talking with the old lady near the time of death. Leonard’s only alibi is his wife, who states that he was home at the time of the murder. But what jury would believe a wife in the witness box trying to protect her husband?

I loved this mystery! I liked that it is mostly told from the perspective of the lawyers for the defense as they try to find out what really happened and find evidence to prove Leonard’s innocence. The plot kept surprising me around every turn, and there are not one but three plot twists at the end! It was completely fascinating.

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Book Review: Welsh Legendary Tales

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Welsh Legendary Tales by Elisabeth Shippard-Jones

Welsh Legendary Tales
by Elisabeth Shippard-Jones
4 out of 5 stars

This collection of Welsh fairy tales is a complete delight! Each story is about 2-4 pages long. The writing is in a traditional fairy tale style, and the stories usually include some sort of moral lesson about being generous, minding your own business, or being cautious around magic.

Leprechauns, brownies, goblins, changelings, and fairies abound through the stories! There are magical cows who produce ten times the milk of a regular cow. There are fairy rings where the fairies dance the night away, and if you step inside one you will be whisked out of the realm of man.

I enjoyed reading these stories, one or two every evening at bedtime. I found them refreshing and imaginative and fun!

Book Review: The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories

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The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
by Agatha Christie
Kailey (Luminous Libro)‘s reviewSep 26, 2021  ·  edit
really liked itbookshelves: owned-books, books-read-in-2021, favorite-mystery

This collection of short stories includes stories with Miss Marple, Poirot, and Parker Pyne. I enjoyed these so much! It’s amazing to me how Agatha Christie can create this little puzzle in just a few pages, and lay out all the clues and a few red herrings, then cleverly reveal the solution in an entertaining way.

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Book Review: Heidi’s Children

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Heidi's Children by Charles Tritten

Heidi’s Children (Heidi sequel, #3)
by Charles Tritten, Pelagie Doane (Illustrator)
3 out of 5 stars

Heidi is pregnant with her first child. Heidi and Peter have the village schoolteacher boarding with them, and the teacher asks if her little sister can come and stay with them and attend the school. The child, Marta, is so unhappy at her own home, and she blossoms under the love and affection that Heidi gives her. But will Marta get along with Heidi’s grandfather? The old Alm-Uncle is still hiding secrets about his past that might change the family forever.

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