Joan is a Taiwanese woman in America in The Satisfaction Café. Her first marriage, through no fault of her own goes horribly wrong, leaving her destitute and living hand to mouth. She then meets and marries a wealthy, older man. They have their own children before he dies, leaving her very wealthy, but insecure, as the adult children from her husband’s first marriage vigorously ... Read More...
We Don’t Talk About Carol
We Don’t Talk About Carol begins with Sydney going back home after her grandmother’s death to help clear out her house. In doing so, she comes across a picture of a little girl who looks somewhat like her. She discovers this is an aunt who disappeared when she was a teenager and that Sydney was never told about. She’s immediately intrigued and wants to learn more but as both ... Read More...
The Correspondent
When Sylvia Van Antwerp came of age there was no such thing as digital. Given that, she sees no reason to abandon her lifelong habit of communicating via letter. She’ll even use email when it is the only option, but that is as much as she’ll concede. This means Virginia Evans’ debut The Correspondent is an epistolary novel comprised only of Sylvia‘s communications with the ... Read More...
Spy novels: Mini-reviews
Given that thrillers have been such fabulous reading for me lately, I thought it was worth sharing two more this week. Author Alma Katsu worked in the world of U.S. intelligence at the CIA and NSA for 29 years imbuing her Red Widow series with an authenticity that makes both novels, Red Widow and Red London, hard to put down. Lyndsey Duncan had been a rising star ... Read More...
Her Many Faces
When four wealthy, prominent men are found poisoned at their exclusive club the police waste no time in apprehending the killer. Katherine Cole was the server at their private party and the last one to see them alive. She was also caught at the train station trying to leave London and when detained incriminated herself. With all these facts it might seem there’s no mystery, but ... Read More...
Heart, Be at Peace
Two five-stars in one week?! What’s going on over here at The Gilmore Guide? Well, the reviews have been pretty few and far between this summer so I felt like giving everyone another outstanding reading option was the least I could do. I’ve been enthralled by Irish authors for years now and one of my recent discoveries was Donal Ryan. Two years ago I read and ... Read More...






