Traitor's Gate by Jeffrey Archer

 

"But they didn't have to hand over any money, which was all part of Faulkner's plan to make sure they ended up with the wrong picture. William had once told her that it's easy to be conned if you want to believe the conman."

                    -Beth Warwick's thoughts, from the novel

I really didn't like this novel at all. Perhaps because there were numerous characters or maybe I didn't realize this was #6 in a William Warwick series. Then again, I am not a Brit, so I don't really appreciate all the pomp and ceremony involved in the government surrounding the royal family. Of course, it didn't help that the story begins with the effort to retrieve an original painting that was surreptitiously replaced with a fake in a museum only to devolve into a second plot of revenge to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. I stayed confused through much of the book. Not sure why I finished it except that is what I do!

The part of the story I found entertaining was the Warwick kids working on a school project about an historical character named Colonel Blood who had stolen the Crown Jewels. Very ironic since their father, William of Scotland Yard, would soon be involved with such a heist.

I can't recommend this one. I've rated it a 2. So many mysteries and thrillers out there that MUST be better!

Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger

 

"It is a great web that the Creator spins, and within it, we are all connected. Dreams are sometimes the threads of that connection. In dreams, Ma'iingan [Wolf], I have seen you, too."

                -Henry Meloux, from the novel

The completion of this novel, #19 in the Cork O'Connor series, was bittersweet. I have LOVED them all and this, as far as I knew was the final installment. Then I saw a #20 mentioned and I was thrilled until I saw it wouldn't be released until August, 2024! Oh, the anticipation!

A woman named Dolores Morriseau comes to Henry Meloux, the Ojibwe healer, (and my favorite character to quote) for help with a marital problem. As it turns out, there are hired killers out to find her and it falls to Henry who is close to 100 years old to get her and his great-niece Rainy, also Cork's wife, and himself to a safe place. 

Of course, Cork immediately involves himself in the search along with the brother-in-law of Dolores. It is a difficult endeavor, especially with uncooperative weather. Cork's son, Steven, is assigned the task of finding out more about the husband of Dolores, who as it turned out, is the one the mercenaries actually seek. Steven is paired with the Morriseau sister-in-law in the search for information. (Could they be romantically involved in the next book?)

The format of the novel is interesting and unique to the series with the POVs alternating between Cork, Rainy, Steven and Wolf, the tracker for the "bad guys."

I give Fox Creek a 5 and I look forward to next August. In the meantime, there are two stand-alone novels of Krueger's I haven't read: The Levee and The Devil's Bed.

Back of the Yard by Meg Lelvis

 

"People say time marches on, but to me, time sneaks away, silently fading into memories you keep, and memories you wish you could erase."

                 -Betty O'Leary, from the novel

I always enjoy historical fiction and this one subtitled A Great Depression Family Saga involves a time period I have not read often. Main character Betty O'Leary is born in 1930 in Chicago, back of the stockyards, hence the title. She is the youngest in her Irish family and while Betty is a small child, the family experiences a tragic loss which will affect them all in the future, emotionally and mentally. Betty not only grieves the loss but blames herself for it and feels abandoned when she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle because her mother is incapacitated. So much angst for a young person!

I rated the book a 4 and I especially liked Betty's early years and her experiences with school and books. (That's the elementary school teacher in me!) I was rooting for her all along to find peace, hope and happiness in her life. 

I am personally acquainted with this author, and I will want to read more of her work.