Robin M. (robinmy) - , reviewed on 2/9/2025 + 2144 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Seven years ago, Abigail Browning's husband Chris was murdered after only four days of marriage. No arrests were ever made. Abigail quit her job and joined the police academy. Now a cop with the Boston Police Department, she receives an anonymous tip about her husband's death. Abigail decides to take time off from her job and return to Mount Desert Island, Maine, to see if she can solve her husband's murder. Owen Garrison still lives on the island. He heads the local search and rescue team. Owen was Chris' best friend and the person who found Chris' body. Now he teams up with Abigail to find the killer.

This story didn't work for me. The first half of the story we were introduced to many characters, all of whom were on the Island when Chris was murdered. We flashed back to Abigail and Chris' honeymoon and the mysterious things that were happening during that time. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Carol Monda. I had a hard time figuring out if we were flashing back to the past or if we were in the present. There were also two characters that I thought were fourteen-year-old teenagers. Turns out they were adults who just talked and acted like teenagers. The romance between Owen and Abigail seemed to come out of nowhere. They've known each other for years, but suddenly they are in love. I will not be continuing this series. My rating: 2 Stars.

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Frank F. reviewed on 2/11/2025 + 390 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

So, so. Reacher and others of his retired team of MP's seek out and destroy the bad guys.

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Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 2/10/2025 + 1251 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Another good one in the Marlowe series. Marlowe is hired to find the missing wife of a Los Angeles business man. The wife has left him but he wants to make sure she is safe from harm. The trail leads to the businessman's cabin in the mountains near San Bernardino on a small lake called Little Fawn Lake. The caretaker there is also missing his wife but she is soon discovered when Marlowe goes out on a small dock; the lady's arms are seen deep in the water. How was she drowned? Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? And what happened to the businessman's wife? She was last heard from in El Paso on her way to get a divorce in Mexico. But the man she was supposedly with, denies this story and he later ends up dead. So Marlowe has some detective work to do and all is definitely not as it seems.

As usual, I really enjoyed this ride with Marlowe in his noir world of the 1940s. The novel has some hints of WWII going on but this is not a focal point of the novel (It was published in 1944). I enjoyed the leisurely world of the San Bernardino mountains as well as the seamier side of Chandler's Bay City where a lot of this takes place. The plot was somewhat convoluted as most of Chandler's novels tend to be but this really adds to the story. This one was also made into a movie in 1946 with Robert Montgomery playing Marlowe. Another one to look out for!

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Thomas A. reviewed on 2/12/2025 + 3 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

An amazing follow-up to Velikovsky's astonishing Worlds in Collision. The author gives citations from myriad sources showing how V's theories and predictions have been proven true for the past 70 years. Scranton restricts his factual references to non-religion related theories. He shows how "authorities" condemned V for challenging their opinions and delusions.

When Albert Einstein died, he had already apologized to Velikovsky for denying his assertions. His copy of Worlds in Collision was lying open on his desk. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the truth about Earth geology, ancient knowledge about our planets and changes in the Earth's rotation and changes in its axis and the existence of electro-magnetic influence on the universe.

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John B. (cwousn) - , reviewed on 2/14/2025 + 134 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I wanted to like this book and give it a high rating but I can't. I love the premise: an everyman who loses everything as a result of being wronged by the woke crowd. He in turn takes his vengeance against them. The writing is just okay. It's obvious to me that the authors haven't even watched forensic files, never mind done any real research into crime scene forensics. To think that he could shoot, poison, and blow up his adversaries without any repercussions is unbelievable. I was hoping for a story where the protagonist somehow obtained his revenge in a way that repaid his enemies in an equitable way. Instead, he becomes a serial killer because "they deserved it". Sorry, I won't be reading any sequels.

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Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed on 2/16/2025 + 739 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Dollycas's Thoughts

Eleanor Roosevelt (ER) is a champion of human rights. Kay Thompson is a young woman who has been fired for calling out workplace violations. Kay has landed a new job as Eleanor's secretary. She handles the former First Lady's daily columns and correspondence while helping her stay on top of all the dinners, ribbon cuttings, and meetings for the United Nations. She learns there is much more to working for Eleanor Roosevelt when the body of a young woman is found on the Royal Blue train when it pulled into Washington D.C.

Susie Taylor was a young woman full of dreams. She left Sweden for America hoping to get her big break on Broadway. Her mother was a friend of Eleanor's and asked for help finding her daughter who had disappeared. Susie Taylor was the young woman found dead on the train. One of the first detectives to arrive on the scene quickly made assumptions and theories. Detective O'Malley was more circumspect and listened to Kay and Eleanor who had their own theories. But the women knew if they didn't embark on a journey to find the killer and the real motive for her death the wrong person would be accused or the case would go cold.

I love that this mystery series features Eleanor Roosevelt. I knew she was a strong and feisty woman and I hope the fictional Eleanor is close to how the real Eleanor was. I wish there was an Eleanor Roosevelt around today to shake up the world of politics to fight the injustices that are happening every day. I know she would be floored by what is happening after she fought so hard. Aside from her political good works, the woman is a fine amateur sleuth with drive knowing when to attack and when to have patience.

Kay Thompson is ER's longtime secretary and friend Malvina âTommyâ Thompson's niece. She has her own talents to bring to the investigation while taking on her normal tasks. She makes an excellent Watson to Eleanor's Sherlock. She may also learn a lot about herself along the way.

Susie Taylor had some interesting connections that put her death very much in Eleanor's wheelhouse. She believes there is much more to Susie's story and that she had been keeping secrets and her mother was holding things back as well. I enjoyed the way Eleanor and Kay dug into the Soviet connection. A second murder opened up more questions than answers. I was surprised that Bobby and Jack Kennedy, and by extension, Ethel and Jackie ran in similar circles with Eleanor. The Kennedy brothers were part of some of Eleanor's meetings with interesting input. ER was very interested in the details and we all know the devil is in the details. So even when the case appears wrapped she goes to Detective O'Malley with a new theory. I loved all the twists and turns Ms. Yardley penned in this mystery. I was kept guessing right up to the very end.

This first Eleanor Roosevelt Mystery has set this series off wonderfully. I appreciated how history was blended into this fictional account. The inclusion of prominent real people in the story pulled me in even more. I had to stop at one moment and check myself and remember it was a fictional story. Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book. She explains how her imagination â interweavesâ with history.

Eleanor and the Cold War will appeal to anyone who enjoys history mixed with mystery and fans of the woman herself. Well-plotted and well-written â the book was A Perfect Escape! I can't wait for the next book in this series and Eleanor and Kay's next adventure.

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Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 2/17/2025 + 2346 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

When I read the synopsis of The Secret History of the Rape Kit, I knew I had to read it. Call me more than a little disgruntled when I learn of all the work done by women that men have stolen the credit for.

Martha "Marty" Goddard's work is outstanding because she pushed it through the most corrupt police department in America at the time: the Chicago Police Department. This woman did not like public speaking and often found someone else to do it for her, but when she had to, she would. That is how dedicated she was to her project. It's hard for me to believe that Goddard sank almost without a trace. How can someone do something so important and then disappear? I congratulate Kennedy for bringing Goddard back into the spotlight where she belongs.

The history the author provides is fascinating. I'll share a couple of examples. Would it surprise you to learn that Hugh Hefner and Playboy played a very important part in getting Goddard's rape kits accepted? They did. Would it also surprise you to learn that the infrastructure we use every day is constantly feeding us messages about who is important and who is not? It does. The designer of the bridges and underpasses leading into Long Island purposely had them built with low clearances so buses couldn't get through. You see, he didn't want poor people to have easy access to the area.

Kennedy shows us how the rape kits and forensics have changed over time and shares her own experience of sexual assault. While I didn't really find the author's personal experience all that necessary to the book as a whole, it does shed light on a survivor's thoughts and feelings.

The Secret History of the Rape Kit is a valuable addition to not only the history of forensics but women's history as well.

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Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 2/22/2025 + 2783 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

An interesting collection of fifteen mysteries, all with some connection to railroads. I enjoyed almost all of them, with perhaps just two disappointing me.

Not all of them involve murders, and two of them have a paranormal bent. In fact, one of the paranormal stories---"The Railway Carriage"---was my favorite.

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Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 3/8/2025 + 984 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Booster Shots contains an amazing amount of information for a book that is a bit more than 200 pages. Dr. Ratner describes his own experience as a researcher and pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, and personalizes the diseases by describing particular patients. He gives a chapter-long history of how measels was determined to spread from person to person, and covers the history of vaccine development. (To be honest I skimmed those chapters, but readers interested in the history of medicine and clinical research will enjoy them).

As Dr. Ratner gives a timeline of how the number of measels cases in the US waxes and wanes, it is clear that there is a correlation with what political party was in power. However, the author is careful to not make this a political book and instead describes the state of the country at the time, gives the numbers, then lets the reader draw their own conclusion. I think this is a positive thing as hopefully more people will read this book and be receptive to its contents since it is not explicitly partisan.

The book devotes a lot of time to vaccine hesitancy, and shows that concerns (both valid and nonsense) about vaccines have been deliberately introduced to vulnerable and susceptible groups, which of course results in outbreaks within these groups. He does not hesitate to call out those in his own profession such as Andrew Wakefield (though thankfully Wakefield is not in the same profession anymore), celebrities, and leaders of the anti-vax movement for spreading misinformation and disinformation. Quite a bit is said about RFK, Jr. and his courting of Trump during Trump's first presidancy.... well, here we are.

Since COVID-19 vaccines have become an emotionally charged issue for many, with social media fanning the flames. Dr. Ratner gives examples of how to combat vaccine information and increase vaccine uptake both on a personal level (spoiler alert: threatening to report someone to social services for child neglect on Facebook is not constructive, so instead have a series of conversations always coming from a place of empathy and understanding that the parent is doing what they understand to be necessary to keep the child healthy), and through programs run by the state and federal governments and NGOs.

This book is (sadly) very timely, and is written in a way that is accessible to a general audience. Highly recommended.

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Michael B. (Ichabod) reviewed on 3/8/2025 + 158 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

The Irish Potato Famine (1845-1851) devastated Ireland, resulting in over one million famine-related deaths and the emigration of over 1.5 million people to places like America, Britain, and Australia. Meanwhile, Britain, located just across the Irish Sea, prospered. Listening to my late uncles tell it, this was cold-hearted, premeditated murder.

The potato blight in Ireland was caused by the water mold "Phytophthora infestans," brought over from North America. The potato crop was essential to Ireland, both for sustenance and economic stability, and the blight had cataclysmic consequences. Absentee landlords found it profitable to evict people from land they could no longer afford to rent. "Unroofing houses" was a common practice, where cottage walls and roofs were torn down or burned in order to enforce the expulsion. Scores of people had to live on the side of the road or in makeshift lean-tos, begging or stealing to avoid starvation. For many, the only option left was to leave Ireland on overcrowded "coffin ships."

Padraic X. Scanlan's book, "Rot: An Imperial History of the Irish Famine," investigates the origins of the devastating Irish Famine. The disaster was not caused by a lack of food, as Ireland exported vast quantities of grain, meat, and dairy-- more than enough to feed its starving population. Moreover, these exports were sold at very low prices set by the British-- barely enough to cover rent for most. Combined with the potato blight, the British policy of laissez-faire--the idea that the economy should be left to self-regulate-- worsened the effects of the famine.

There were efforts to help, as this was a world-wide embarrassment. Soup kitchens and workhouses were established, yet the aid was conditional. The Whig Party insisted that relief be tied to labor requirements as the Irish would take the charity and never pivot to improving their situation.
There are so many quotations by British leaders showing an utter disdain for the Irish. Initially, many believed the Irish were exaggerating their poverty. "Britain was industrious, Ireland was lazy." An ugly belief was espoused over and over, that the famine was doing its job. The economist Thomas Robert Malthus said that nature, in such a crisis, would restore the balance between population and food supply through "famine... the last, the most dreadful resource of nature." "The Irish, he concluded, could not yet be taught; until they starved, they would not learn."

As the famine continued, and one policy after another did little to resolve the disorder and desolation, many in the government became nihilistic, arguing that it would be better to do nothing to slow the famine or palliate the suffering of the Irish poor--to "let the evil work itself out like a consuming fire." Ireland was not the only country to suffer from Britain's laissez-faire belief. India lost tens of millions of lives in repeated droughts and famines. Here again, authorities "...convinced themselves that overly heroic exertions against the natural laws of the economy were worse than no effort at all."

"Rot" shows that while the Irish Famine was not caused by the British, their mishandling of it was due to misplaced faith in the market and an age-old mistrust of the intelligence and character of the Irish. The suffering described was horrific and would not have been tolerated or addressed in the same manner in Britain.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Eileen S. (smileen) - , reviewed on 3/8/2025 + 281 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Another wonderful beach house story by this author. I love her stories about families , relationships , the beach, and turtle hatchings. The Turtle ladies are at it again, This is the continuing story of Toy and Cara from some of the previous beach books, but it certainly is a stand alone book. This is a story about the South Carolina aquarium. turtles nesting on the beach, Toy's daughter, Little Lovie, who was just born in the last story I read, is now five years old, and Cara struggling to get pregnant. Monroe give such heart and soul to her characters, and she makes you feel like you are right there in the story.

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Melissa B. (dragoneyes) - , reviewed on 3/8/2025 + 866 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I found this to be a gratifying read. Had some quite spooky elements and an interesting story line. I liked how it put a bit of history in it. I found the parts about the priest holes and how they were hidden in some houses very interesting. It went into detail about a man named Nicholas Owen who specialized in building these priest holes. After I was done with the story I had to research this as I had never heard of these hidden places. That put me on another journey learning about them. Love when that happens.

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Robyn H. (byrd1956) reviewed on 3/11/2025 + 48 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

What an unusual murder mystery. I like visiting art museums, and I really didn't know much about art restoration. It was interesting and I learned quite a bit. I enjoyed the characters, the places (London, Paris, Geneva, Moscow, New York), and the mystery. The story definitely flows well, but because I had too many days in-between readings, I sometimes got confused and had to look back to refresh my memory. My suggestion don't let too many days pass before you read the next chapter.

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Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 3/12/2025 + 935 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Stay, Girl by Angelica R. Jackson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The heartwarming story of the healing power of love.

Stay, Girl is a wonderfully heartwarming story of 12-year-old Bet and a fostered beagle named Penny set in 1953 California's Central Valley. While timeless and with universal elements, Bet and Penny's story comes alive in this nostalgic setting of a simpler time and place. Their tale is one of two wounded creatures re-discovering kindness, love, and safety. I couldn't put it down.

Bet is a determined, capable 12-year-old, conditioned much too soon to depending on herself for her most basic needs. When her mother passes away, she takes off from her home in Sacramento and her abusive stepfather and makes her way, by foot, to her mother's brother's home in Amberfields, California, quite some distance away. Bet's plan for escape had been to join a friend working in an Idaho lumber camp, but she'd promised her mother on her deathbed that she'd go to Uncle Earl's, and she always kept her promises.

We can only imagine what Bet expected Uncle Earl to be like, considering her experiences with the adults, especially men, in her brief life, but Earl is not that. A former Navy cook, now working at the small town's diner, he's a giving and gentle soul and the caretaker for the county for three rescued dogs. A recent addition to his home is a very sick red and white beagle that had been removed from a deplorable situation. Bet feels a kinship with the small, frightened dog she names Penny, and it becomes her goal to heal her and become Penny's "person."

The plot covers the summer of 1953, and Bet and Penny's slow but steady recovery as both become a part of their new home and new community, seeing a side of people they had been denied up to this point in their lives. The author's vivid descriptions of the setting drew me in so completely I could almost feel the heat and hear the sounds of that long-ago summer, a time when telephones, television, and cars weren't a part of every household yet. Bet's story was compelling, with plot twists that changed its trajectory in unexpected ways and kept me glued to its pages.

I recommend STAY, GIRL to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.

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boookmouse reviewed on 3/13/2025

Helpful Score: 1

Excellent and extremely relevant right now.. Definite must read!

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Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 3/13/2025 + 1251 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

T.C. Boyle is a writer I have admired for many years. I have read and enjoyed several of his novels and short story collections and I always look forward to reading more of him. East Is East is, at the beginning, a somewhat humorous look at what happens when a 20-year old Japanese seaman jumps ship off the coast of Georgia in hopes of finding acceptance among the many races that abound in America. His name is Hiro and he has been scorned and ridiculed in Japan because he is a half-breed. His father was an American hippie who abandoned him and his mother when he was a baby. Hiro doesn't really know much about America other than what he has learned from TV, movies and pop music but he feels if he can make his way to a large American city such as "The City of Brotherly Love", he'll be able to fit in with the masses. But ultimately, Hiro is in trouble when he first sets foot on Topanga Island off the Georgia coast. He is hungry and alone and when he approaches a poor black resident cooking up some oysters, he doesn't expect to be attacked and the results leave Hiro on the lam from the law and the INS. He does finally find food at the cottage of a woman writer who is in residence at an artists' colony and she takes pity on him. But of course, this doesn't last and Hiro becomes the target of most everyone on the island.

When I first started reading this, I felt it had the feel of a Carl Hiaasen novel, full of humor and characters that deserved to be put in their place. Hiro was a character that you commiserate with and hope that he will be able to live his dreams. Another character, Ruth, the woman who befriends Hiro is also someone to root for. But the novel definitely has a darker side and is a harsh look at how we view outsiders. This story reminded me somewhat of one of my favorite Boyle novels, The Tortilla Curtain, which was also about an oppressed man who is on the run in America because he is from another culture and is misunderstood. Boyle is really a great wordsmith and I'll be looking forward to more.

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Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed on 3/15/2025 + 3180 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Wow what a piece of trash

If you want to read porn here's a start, the story just isn't very good at all and it has so much trashy sex in it and I mean not just a page or two I mean one sex encounter can take 20 pages?

I had no idea what kind of author this is but I'll get no more!

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George R. (budd) - reviewed on 3/16/2025 + 4 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I loved this book, very seldom do I find a book that I can't put down. This was one of them. A real life story of adventure, loyalty, betrayal, and unspeakable hardships. Author David Grann takes you on the adventure of a lifetime
Retelling the stories of the sailors on board the British man o war Wager. 5 stars from me, do not miss this one.

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jjares reviewed on 3/16/2025 + 3488 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I enjoyed reading about Louis Pasteur, the father of microbiology and pasteurization. It was fascinating to learn that Louis was a wastrel in his younger years and didn't get serious about his studies later in his academic career. However, he made up for lost time with the work he initiated later.

The most interesting part of the story occurred after his death. Pasteur demanded that his private journals never be given to the scientific community after his death. However, many years later, one of the remaining Pasteur family members gave them to the French National Library in 1970, which started a firestorm. It seems that Pasteur tinkered with his findings. Pasteur overstated some of his conclusions and lied about others. He also stole credit from others, claiming it was his work.

Because of these journals, Pasteur's reputation was seriously damaged. However, the dust has settled, and people credit Pasteur with revolutionizing biology. This was fascinating reading.

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Nada A. reviewed on 3/17/2025 + 1418 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

The Black Angels are the nurses involved in the discovery of the cure for tuberculosis at Sea View Hospital in Staten Island. The "black" is a reference to race, and the why of that has its history in the Jim Crow South. The book by Maria Smilios is about the hospital, the medical advances, and the life of the women as they faced the challenges of their jobs and the challenges of continued discrimination and hostility even in Staten Island. Ultimately, it is the inspiring lesson of their strength and endurance.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2025/03/the-black-angels.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

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Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed on 3/18/2025 + 3180 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Freida Mcfadden has won a lot of fans for her books but I think she might be running out of plots

This is a story told many times before by other authors with a few changes but it is predictable, it really doesn't have many twists or turns until the very end and it ends with one you don't see coming

It is an easy book to read but it's not a great book

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Julie Y. (naboo) reviewed on 3/19/2025 + 27 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This book was chosen for my monthly book club. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the Thursday Murder Club series. 

At the Coopers Chase Retirement Village, four elders form The Thursday Murder Club and meet every Thursday to resolve old murder investigations. The members of this club are Elizabeth Best (retired spy), Joyce Meadowcroft  (a retired nurse), Ron Ritchie (a retired famous trade union leader), and Ibrahim Arif (a retired psychiatrist).

Suddenly, Tony Curran, the lead builder of Coopers Chase, is blugeoned to death in his own kitchen, and an old photograph is left laying beside the victim. The Thursday Murder Club (led by Elizabeth) decide to investigate and discover the killer with help from both Police Constable Donna De Freitas and Detective Chief Inspector Chris Hudson. 

Soon after Ian Ventham, the unscrupulous owner of Coopers Chase, is killed by an fentanyl overdose injected into the muscle of his upper arm. 

I truly enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this novel. Additionally, Joyce's diary entries mixed in with the central story provided an intimate access to the character's thoughts and feelings. 

Finally, I love the quote found in the acknowledgements:


"You must live your life as you choose. "

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Lenka S. reviewed on 3/20/2025 + 842 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This book Started with interesting premise, another dystopian world, whew America is dominating England though economic enslavement. A total Economic Collapse in Britain causing debt to USA and crisis so large as to destroy the very structure od the country is build on. Little by little USA is providing food and basic necessities but dictates how they will be used. And GB becomes another third world country with camps providing survival necessities to people in exchange for obedience. Disobedience is not tolerated. Into this we have our Narator telling her story of her brave departure on there dream of a society that might not exist, but that turns out to be equally manipulative, abusive and despotic in its own way. And our "Sister" as the narrator is now when she joins the independent group in the north is quite bling to it. (Not totally blind, but quite blind). It took a bit long to get to the meat of the story, to the actual plot. And just as things started to get good, when we were hitting what should have been the climax of the book, the author employs "data lost", and sums up the results of the climax in 1 paragraph. Terrible choice. At first I thought there would be a sequel, but no. That's it. The journey is the story, not the rebellion. which is unusual. As the rebellion should have been the conclusion, though its added more like an afterthought. Im not sure if that's intentional (brilliant) or not (the author was not going to write a sequel, so they slammed the reader with some obvious ending). There was sgreat ome potential for interesting exploration to happen in this book, including when does resistance to tyranny become tyranny itself, but the book never got itself to that point. Though it does raises interesting questions. And is a worthy read.

A note to reader: This book contains coarse offensive sexual language. (NO... It is not erotica) Quite the opposite. And describes the placement of UTI medical contraceptive device that is very traumatic. Also it includes military training style, very graphic torture sessions, described in extremely vivid detail. Should have a warning on the cover. It is not suitable for younger readers.

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Michael B. (Ichabod) reviewed on 3/28/2025 + 158 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

"It's a time travel romance about bureaucracy, empire, and cigarettes."--Quote from Kaliane Bradley during a Waterstones interview.

Time travel stories often elicit an eye roll from me due to their predictability and reliance on cliches like the Butterfly Effect. Despite having enjoyed time travel yarns in the past, like the "Time Tunnel" show and movies like "Time Bandits" and "Time After Time," I feel I've explored this area sufficiently.

An unnamed narrator, the daughter of Cambodian refugees, has been accepted for a mysterious government job in Britain. The government has discovered a way to travel through time and has apprehended five individuals from the past, moments before their death. The aim is to research time travel's effects on humans.

In 1845 an Arctic expedition left Britain and never returned. Author Kaliane Bradley has taken one of the victims of this ill-fated journey, Captain Graham Gore, and inserted him into this plot. The narrator, in this role with the Ministry of Expatriation, is tasked with being his "bridge," to help him adjust to the modern world. The disorientation caused by technological advancements and societal changes, including the evolving role of women, creates humorous situations and sets the stage for a predictable romantic relationship.

Things take a darker turn, and the tone shifts dramatically as the government's true intentions become unclear. Suspicions of a hidden agenda arise, and the story abruptly transforms into a spy thriller. This shift feels sudden and disjointed, especially as it occurs so close to the end.

"The Ministry of Time" is a fun and multifaceted work that spans various genres, including science fiction, thriller, romance, and comedy. It also touches on diverse themes like history, environmentalism, grief, and imperialism. Despite its diverse elements, the conclusion left me feeling unfulfilled, perhaps due to the overwhelming rush of activity leading to the resolution.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed on 3/29/2025 + 3180 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

tedious and slow moving about lawyers that just gets jumbled up with all the extra stuff that isn't needed, why throw Russia into it? dumb!

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