This was a charming, delightful, steampunk romp through Europe, filled with eccentric, larger-then-life characters and imaginative automaton contraptions. If you are looking for a fast-paced, hope-filled, humorous, slightly fantastical and at times ridiculous book to let you escape reality for a few hours, I recommend this book of marvels and misadventures. (Sometimes we need this sort of book!) A good choice for fans of historical fiction, clean romance, whimsical stories, steampunk, and books with a thread of faith. Or for people who are interested in visiting famous clocks of Europe and rescuing stray animals.
I am drawn to books with a distinctive voice, unusual settings, and an original premise. Add great writing and characters I want to root for and I'm hooked. This is not your average time travel book. It is less sci-fi and more about the characters and their growth and interaction. And I absolutely loved the author's brilliant way with metaphors. Here is one example: "I was lightly haunted--at the level of a chronic but manageable digestive complaint--by the memory of those "vital" files in the bin." Kudos for so much originality and beautiful writing in a book that also had a plot that kept me reading long past my bedtime. Those looking for a G-rated read will want to look elsewhere, but otherwise this book is a fascinating novel.
A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.
In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.
The Mary Russel and Sherlock Holmes novels are always a delight to read. Historical mystery is one of my favorite genres, but not many are as well-written as this series. After all, these plots have to be worthy of the great Holmes and his equally intelligent and determined wife, Mary Russel. If you've not read any of these before, I would recommend reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice first, just to understand the dynamic between the main characters. This chemistry between Russel and Holmes is one of the main features of this series. As is an immersive setting, clever plot twists, and memorable secondary characters. If you love a good mystery, witty writing, clever plots, or vivid historical settings, give this series a try.
Only hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving one riddle on the moor, another knocks on their front door.literally. It's a mystery that begins during the Great War, when Gabriel Hughenfort died amidst scandalous rumors that have haunted the family ever since. But it's not until Holmes and Russell arrive at Justice Hall, a home of unearthly perfection set in a garden modeled on Paradise, that they fully understand the irony echoed in the family motto, Justicia fortitudo mea est: "Righteousness is my strength."
What would compel a girl to set foot in the house of Rome’s most devious and vindictive senator? How about murder? When the wife of Senator Gracchus is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Livia Aemilia agrees to help solve the crime. Yes, it’s a big risk, but it will be worth it if she can prove Gracchus poisoned his wife. Then Livia and her husband Avitus would finally be free of Gracchus and his nefarious schemes to ruin them. With justice on their side and God guiding their plans, what could go wrong? The more Livia digs, the more it looks like Gracchus is guilty of poisoning his wife. Until the next victim dies, and everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. A fast-paced, witty, and inspiring tale of vengeance vs. mercy set in the Roman world of the early church.
