The House is on Fire

The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland 384 pages

 

I first learned of this book on a Facebook page (Book Chat with Debbie Monterrey + St. Louis Public Library). Fascinating interview between the host and author, which is still available on the Page..

 

Based on a true story, this novel is about a fire at a Richmond, Virginia, theater on December 26, 1811. At the time, this was the deadliest disaster in U.S. history with seventy-two dead. It is told from the points of view of four people, which gives the story a more comprehensive view of exactly what occurred that night.

 

The first speaker is Sally Henry Campbell. Newly widowed, Sally is glad to be among people and lay her grief aside for a few hours. She sits in a third-row box. Second is Cecily Patterson, a slave who isn’t interested in the play but is chaperoning her mistress, sits in the colored gallery. Next is Gilbert, a slave and one of the few people in Richmond not attending the performance. Finally there is Jack Gibson, a teenage stagehand, who works backstage moving the sets and backdrops.

 

It doesn’t take long for something horrible to go wrong.  When the performance is suddenly stopped and the words “the house is on fire,” ring from the stage, the entire audience panics. Everyone rushes to try to get out. The fire spreads quickly. Some internal exits disappear into the roaring flame (the staircase on one side of the theater). Those on the third floor are forced to jump.

 

As the novel progresses, readers get all sides of the story. It is a harrowing story, and I don’t want to give away too much. It is a story that I couldn’t put down. That is why The House Is On Fire receives 6 out of 5.

 

 

The Bait

The Bait (Book 2 in the To Catch a Leopard Series)  by C.W. Gortner and M. J. Rose 125 pages

It’s been a year since a cat burglar who goes by “Leopard,” stole Ania Thorne’s most recent collection of one-of-a-kind designer jewelry in Cannes. And one year, since she met insurance investigator Jerome Curtis.

Together, they may not have been able to solve the theft, but they do know who did it, and Anika and Jerome have become lovers. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes.

Now it’s carnival time in Venice. Ania has been planning her next move since leaving Cannes. And it’s quite the elaborate plan! Unfortunately, things don’t go their way. They wind up in jail, accused of a crime they did not commit. Once again Ania and Jerome are thwarted when Leopard unexpectedly pops up. This time Ania is able to confront Leopard to no avail.

A fun little read that can be read in one sitting. I love the descriptions of Venice, but I wish there had been more.

 “The Bait” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

In the Face of the Sun

 “In the Face of the Sun” by Denny S. Bryce   320 pages  

Denny S. Bryce hits another one out of the park with her second novel, “In the Face of the Sun.” She returns to the 1920s for one of her two timelines, but juxtaposes it with a 1968 road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.  

In 1928 Los Angeles, Daisy Washington is a young woman who has dreams of becoming a journalist, writing for Black-owned papers. Mostly she collects gossip for Harry Belmont’s column in the “California Eagle” she gleans from the rich and famous Blacks who are checking into the new Hotel Somerville where she and her sister work as chambermaids... From Bryce’s descriptions the hotel is stylish and glamorous. Daisy is excited that gets to meet Stepin Fetchit, the comedian, one of the first Black actors to make it big in Hollywood. But even more, Daisy is over the moon to see W.E.B. Du Bois as he and a bevy of Hollywood elite arrive. Du Bois has arranged to hold the NAACP’s annual meeting at the Somerville.  

Then the narrative shifts to 1968 Chicago. Daisy’s niece Francine (aka Frankie) has learned that she is about eight weeks pregnant with her abusive husband, Jackson. For the baby’s sake, and hers, Frankie has decided to leave him. As she is headed to the bus station, Daisy pulls up and talks her into going to Los Angeles with her. Since they will be driving, Jackson will never be able to catch up with her and force her to return. The two take off for a Thelma and Louise road-trip along Route 66. Daisy isn’t being nice; she has some business in LA and wouldn’t mind the company.  

The 1928 timeline was well-researched. I felt as if I were there.  In the 1968 timeline, there were more twists that made the road trip dangerous. 

A third plot line that weaves between the two narratives is Daisy and her sister, Henrietta. They were very close, but a tragedy forced them to not speak for over forty years. Bryce is excellent at spooling out bits of information about this subplot as the roared toward a conclusion. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed “In the Face of the Sun.”  This sophomore novel receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Inheritance

 

 Inheritance  by Evelyn Toynton   272 pages

"Inheritance" in this novel is not what readers may assume it is; there’r nothing to do with physical assets.

When Annie Devereaux’s husband suddenly dies she then has the opportunity to follow her wildest dreams.  She leaves New York and moves to London with no plan but to live like the Brits do.

Shortly after her arrival, she meets Julian and moves in with him. As their relationship drags on, he becomes more and more abusive.

Then the narrative shifts. Annie has made friends with Julian’s sister, Isabel. While this section is mostly about Isabel, reads get to learn more about what makes Julian Julian.

The narrative shifts again, but I didn’t get it.  I’m not sure where the author was going, or even what she was talking about. Section Three did not tie into Sections One and Two, leaving me lost and dazed. Therefore, “Inheritance” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Spies of Shilling Lane

The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan   368 pages

When I sat down to start this novel, I expected a fast-paced ride with menancing undertones. What I got instread was a rather comical cozy-mystery vibe. Not that that’s bad, it was out of left field for me.

Mrs. Braithwaite is having a rough year. Her husband has divorced her, creating quite the scandal. Couple that with her demotion as head of the local Women’s Volunteer Service in Ashcombe Village, England, well, she’s feeling kinda low and sorry for herself.

She doesn’t have a close relationship with her daughter, Betty, who left for London as soon as WWII broke out.  Although she has sent five letters, Mrs. B. has not received a single reply. So Mrs. B. decides to go visit.  During the Blitz.

When she finally arrives, Betty isn’t home and Mr. Norris, who owns the home where Betty rents a room, hasn’t seen her in quite a while. He has no idea when she could be coming back or even if she has survived the nightly Nazi air raids. Author Ryan does a great job in taking readers to the tunnels during the air raids and how Londoners coped. When Mrs. B. and Mr. N. spend one night in a church’s catacombs, it’s quite creepy

Eventually, Mrs. B., accompanied by Mr. Norris, locates Betty, tied to a chair in the basement of a garage. Then it becomes good-guys versus bad-guys. The story that follows is rather humorous, but stereotypical.  Like sluggin the bad-guys with her purse, taking turns with Betty getting captured by the bad-guys, and ultimately saving the day.

 “The Spies of Shilling Lane” was okay, and that is why it receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.