“The Budapest Artists’ Club” by Claire Doyle #BookReview #LiteraryFiction #Hungary #Budapest

The Budapest Artists’ Club “The Budapest Artists’ Club” takes place over two separate trips to Budapest, one on the brink of the new millennium, one almost twenty years later. In her first trip to Budapest, Laura loses her boyfriend but gains musical skills, and is caught up in a plot to switch out a viola […]

“Rowan’s Well” by CJ Harter

Rowan’s Well CJ Harter Is Mark Strachan a guy who’s had a tough hand dealt in life? Or a sociopath? “Rowan’s Well” follows the story of Mark and Will from when they become roommates in college to when Mark commits a shocking, unforgivable crime, and everyone has to pick up the pieces afterwards. It’s a […]

“Career of Evil” by Robert Galbraith

Career of Evil Robert Galbraith In “Career of Evil,” the third Cormoran Strike book, Galbraith/Rowling takes a decidedly macabre turn. While “The Cuckoo’s Calling” and “The Silkworm” were not without their gruesome aspects, they were as much satires of the entertainment industry in its various facets–modeling, tabloid reporting, fashion, publishing–as they were crime novels. “Career […]

“The Silkworm” by Robert Galbraith

The Silkworm Robert Galbraith In “The Silkworm,” Robert Galbraith/J.K.Rowling’s second book in the Cormoran Strike series, Rowling deploys her considerable satirical powers against a target she must know intimately: the publishing industry. After solving the Lula Landry case in “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” Cormoran and his secretary-cum-partner Robin are now rolling in business, so Cormoran has […]

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo’s Calling Robert Galbraith Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, everyone. Stop the presses, y’all, because J.K. Rowling is back. Okay, under a different name, but the sharp pen is very definitely the same. I always wondered what she would do once the “Harry Potter” franchise was done. She–very wisely, in my opinion–stopped the series after […]

“Longshot” by Dick Francis

Longshot Dick Francis John Kendall takes a job everyone else has turned down. But it seemed better than freezing. Only it sucks him straight into a murder mystery. “Longshot” is one of my very favorite Francis books, and it was just as good on the last reread. Written in 1990, right when Francis was at […]

“Odds Against” by Dick Francis

Odds Against Dick Francis In “Odds Against,” Francis’s fourth fictional outing, he takes a decidedly darker turn. Although not lacking in evil villains, both “Dead Cert” and “For Kicks” had a strong aspect of glamorous wish fulfillment, and so, in its own way, did “Nerve.” Alan, Rob, and Daniel all had tough times, sure, but […]

“For Kicks” by Dick Francis

For Kicks Dick Francis In “For Kicks” Francis continues to demonstrate the mastery of the horse-thriller genre he established in “Nerve.” Even more so than “Nerve,” “For Kicks” is slightly bizarre, unrealistic wish fulfillment, but that in no way diminishes its charm–in fact, it is one of the key factors in its charm. Who doesn’t […]

“Crossfire” by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Crossfire Dick Francis and Felix Francis Last January I set an absolutely ridiculous Goodreads reading challenge for myself–so ridiculous that I’m embarrassed even to admit how high it is (okay, it was 200 books). Needless to say, unless a miracle occurs I’m not going to meet it, although I will say in my defense that […]

“The Former Chief Executive” by Kate Vane

Recently widowed, Deborah signs up for a garden share scheme so that someone will take care of her late husband’s garden. The person assigned to share her garden is Luca, a stunningly handsome young man with a criminal past. Although seeming to have nothing in common, Deborah and Luca develop an understanding and are able […]

E. P. Clark: Author, Book Reviewer, and All-Around Literary Handiwoman

British fiction