Glad I scrolled through my Instagram because I found a couple more I haven’t posted here!
Thanks to the mentioned publishers for the gifted copies this month
MARPLE: TWELVE NEW MYSTERIES – Various Authors (Released September 13th, 2022 – Thanks to William Morrow Books for the gifted copy)
A brand-new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Mystery’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors.
This collection of a dozen original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.
Naomi Alderman
Leigh Bardugo
Alyssa Cole
Lucy Foley
Elly Griffiths
Natalie Haynes
Jean Kwok
Val McDermid
Karen M. McManus
Dreda Say Mitchell
Kate Mosse
Ruth Ware
Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Agatha Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
While I haven’t read a lot of the Marple books by Agatha Christie – I’ve read more of the Hercules Poirot books – I was excited to read the various short stories in this collection. As with all short story collections there are some standouts and for me that would be Leigh Bardugo’s entry in this book. I want to go back and read some of the original Marple books to get a better feel for them but from what I have read, I can confirm that all the authors were able to capture the original essence of Christie’s books. I definitely recommend this one to fans of the series!
THE MOST LIKELY CLUB – Elyssa Friedland (Released September 6th, 2022 – Thanks to GetRed PR and Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy)
In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400.
Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the “Most Likely Girls.”
Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship, the ways our childhood dreams both sustain and surprise us — and why it’s deeply uncool to peak in high school.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
This book was so much fun! A nice easy and light read after some true crime about the Butcher of Kingsbury Run – a nice pallette cleanser. We meet four friends at a big milestone high school reunion and after seeing their “Most Likely to” in the yearbook, they decide its time to make a pact and finally achieve those goals. All four women were so unique and the author did a great job developing them all and keeping them so relatable and flawed in their own ways. Of course, all the 90s nostalgia was fantastic.
Jessicamap Reviews 