Book review: Treachery

Treachery

Treachery
(Giordano Bruno #4)
by S.J. Parris
Pegasus Books
UK release
8/14/2014
US:
12/3/2019!!
Historical Mystery
540 pages!

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I had been enjoying the Giordano Bruno series by S. J. Parris in audiobooks. Volume 4, Treachery, finally available in the US in 2019, after apparently being released much earlier in the UK, is still not available in audio in my library, so I decided to read it instead.

Maybe it’s because I read it instead of listening to it, but I found it slightly less enjoyable than the first three books. I found it a bit slow to really start. The whole book could really have been shorter than 540 pages!
Though as usual, the author did a great job at setting up the context and the characters.

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BOOKS JUST READ

click on the covers to know more about them

HISTFIC/MYSTERY

Olgas Egg

HISTFIC/MYSTERY

Treachery

AUDIO

Sur les chemins noirs

Olga’s Egg
Received for review from Clink Street
VERDICT: The Fabergé eggs as you never knew them. Intriguing, lavish, fascinating. My best historical novel of the year.
My full review is here

Treachery
Received for review through Netgalley
Another great adventure with Giordano Bruno, this time around Francis Drake. I found it a bit long, but still very satisfying.
Review coming soon.

Sur les chemins noirs
Believe it or not, I first heard about this French author through the English translation of one of his books: The Consolations of the Forest.
I so loved the content and its beautiful, both simple, direct and yet very poetic style.
This time, I decided to listen to one of his more recent narratives. After a very serious accident where he almost died, he decided to travel this time in France, on foot. He chooses as best as possible les chemins noirs, that is, the dark paths, in other words, paths and tiny roads that you cannot even find on the most precise map. Areas that are not yet under the gaze of Big Brother and the French government, who want to do all they can to connect the whole country to the internet, ignoring the choice of simple folks to go on living as they have been for generations. I loved it! So nicely written again on nature, but with this ardent cause to defend the right for people and areas of France to keep their deep identity.

CURRENTLY READING

HISTFIC

Lady Clementine

NONFICTION

Elder Anthony

CLASSIC/AUDIO

The Lodger

Lady Clementine
Received for review through Netgalley
I have read and enjoyed several books by Marie Benedict, so I didn’t hesitate with this one, especially as I knew nothing about Clementine Churchill. I’m about half done, and I find it very good so far, especially at describing the complexity f characters.

Elder Anthony of Optina
Almost done with the life of the famous second Elder of Optina. I’m in the interesting part with excerpts of his journal.

The Lodger
I decided to listen to this mystery for The Classics Club.
It was written in 1913 and is based on Jack the Ripper murders. I’m almost done, and it’s fabulous! Especially the tension growing in Mrs Bunting’s mind about her latest lodger. Plus the narrator is excellent at doing various English accents.
I plan to read/listen to other books by the same author. Her mother was English, but her father was French. She actually has a famous brother, Hillaire Belloc, who wrote books on Roman Catholicism, very well known in France.

BOOKS UP NEXT

HISTFIC

Dreamland

MYSTERY

Perfect Little Children

MYSTERY/AUDIO

Le cri

Dreamland
Received from the publisher for review 
“The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.
The invitation to the luxurious Oriental Hotel a mile from Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.
But soon it transpires that the hedonism of nearby Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.
Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.
Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.”
To tell the truth, I copied and pasted this synopsis without reading it. I have so far very much enjoyed Bilyeau’s books, so I want to go into this one without knowing anything about it.

Perfect Little Children
Received for review through Edelweiss
“The New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret returns with a sharp, captivating, and expertly plotted tale of psychological suspense.
All Beth has to do is drive her son to his soccer game, watch him play, and then return home. Just because she knows her ex-best friend lives near the field, that doesn’t mean she has to drive past her house and try to catch a glimpse of her.
Why would Beth do that and risk dredging up painful memories? She hasn’t seen Flora for twelve years. She doesn’t want to see her today—or ever again. But she can’t resist. She parks outside the open gates of Newnham House, watches from across the road as Flora arrives and calls to her children Thomas and Emily to get out of the car.
Except . . . There’s something terribly wrong. Flora looks the same, only older. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. They are Thomas and Emily without a doubt, but they haven’t changed at all. They are no taller, no older. Why haven’t they grown? How is it possible that they haven’t grown up?”
Another author of mysteries I have liked a lot.

Le cri
Not sure if I’m actually going to listen to this one. Depending on what book I get through the Classics Spin, I may switch. Anyway, that will be the next French audio I listen to.
It’s been translated in several languages, but apparently not yet in English.

GIVEAWAY

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on the homepage

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And I have books available for swap!

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WHAT ABOUT YOUR READING?

 

The top 8 books to read in December 2019

Here are

The top 8 books
I plan to read in December 2019

Click on the covers to know more

CURRENTLY READING

   Treachery  

Elder Anthony

Treachery
I have deeply enjoyed the 3 previous books historical mysteries in this series on Giordano Bruno. This volume 4 was said to have been published in 2014, but I was never able to find it. Finally now available.
“Summer, 1585: As English ships are held captive in Spain, fear mounts of an Invincible Armada, built by King Philip II, and intended to invade English shores. Sir Francis Drake prepares to embark on an expedition by royal commission to cross the Atlantic and seize major Spanish ports, diverting Philip’s American treasure supplies to Queen Elizabeth. Giordano Bruno, radical philosopher and spy, accompanies his friend Sir Philip Sidney to Plymouth to oversee Drake’s departure. Unbeknownst to Bruno, Sidney intends to join the mission – and he wants Bruno to go too. But when a ship captain is brutally murdered, and Drake’s life threatened, it becomes clear that someone plans to destroy the expedition before it begins. Bruno and Sidney hunt for the killer, but are they being lured into a trap? And when Drake’s young wife and her cousin arrive, Bruno and Sidney find themselves thrown into an unexpected rivalry.”
I like the historical background so far. And there’s an esoteric book in the plot!
Received for review through Netgalley

Olga’s Egg
So far, very enjoyable. About the world of FabergĂ©’s eggs! Luscious descriptions.
Received for review through the publisher

Elder Anthony of Optina
I have a devotion to the Optina Fathers. This is book 2 in the series. Elder Anthony is incredible. In connection with this book blog, I discovered he loved reading A LOT, and he took lots of notes while reading.
I’m almost done, in the interesting excerpt of his diary.

READING NEXT

  Lady Clementine   Dreamland

Hyperbole and a half

The first two are books that will come out early January, by two authors I really enjoy a lot.

Lady Clementine
“In 1909, Clementine Churchill steps off a train with her new husband, Winston. An angry woman emerges from the crowd to attack, shoving him in the direction of an oncoming train. Just before he stumbles, Clementine grabs him by his suit jacket. This will not be the last time Clementine Churchill saves her husband.
Lady Clementine is the ferocious story of the brilliant and ambitious woman beside Winston Churchill, the story of a partner who did not flinch through the sweeping darkness of war, and who would not surrender either to expectations or to enemies.”
Received for review through Netgalley

Dreamland
“The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.
The invitation to the luxurious Oriental Hotel a mile from Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.
But soon it transpires that the hedonism of nearby Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.
Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder.
Extravagant, intoxicating and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class and dangerous obsession.”
Received for review through the publisher

Hyperbole and a Half
For the third year, I’m participating in the Winter Challenge organized by my library: the staff picks a book for you to read. Looks like they thought I was not reading many graphic books, though I read so many mangas this year! So should be an easy challenge

If I have time, I have 3 books I received this past year I would like to read finally:
If You Cross The River, by Geneviève Damas
La grande escapade, by Jean-Philippe Blondel
Les grands cerfs, by Claudie Hunzinger

 

CURRENT AND NEXT AUDIOBOOKS

  Sur les chemins noirs The Lodger

Sur les chemins noirs
Recovering from a major accident, this author walks all over France through hidden ways. Also about escaping the radar of Big Brother and all the hyper connected society. I really enjoy it a lot.

The Lodger
“Somewhere in London a madman was at large. And then one night there came a knock at the door of a quiet lodging house in the Marylebone Road. . . . This novel, based on the Jack the Ripper murders, was made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock.”
Will be listening for The Classics Club

CURRENT GIVEAWAYS

We have several giveaways listed on the homepage

List of books I can swap with yours

Upcoming treat: come back tomorrow to enter my giveaway for my over 5,000 followers!

PLANS FOR DECEMBER

  • Review the book I read for Classics Spin #13, and other recently finished books
  • Prepare what I plan to read for The Japanese Literature Challenge 13 in January-March at Dolce Bellezza
  • Start preparing my fun end of the year stats!

Eiffel Tower Orange

HAVE YOU READ
OR ARE YOU PLANNING TO READ
ANY OF THESE?
WHAT ARE YOUR READING PLANS FOR DECEMBER?

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