Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (★★★★☆)
Brendan Slocumb is making a name for himself in the subgenre of musical literary thrillers. Super-niche, right? But somehow, it works. These are not fast-paced, page-turny thrillers, but rather more of a slow burn. This book is all about a man named Frederick Delaney. He’s one of the greatest musical composers of the twentieth century, but there’s a discovery that could lead to two people unearth the true secret of his greatness: All of his works were actually composed by a young Black woman whose name has been lost to history. This book is about the love of music, the way Black people’s contribution to music is often erased, and corruption. I listened to the audiobook, which was expertly narrated, and those last few hours of the book were incredible. I couldn’t stop listening! A fantastic book with a well-paced plot, vibrant characters, and a satisfying conclusion. (library audiobook, 2023)
Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh (★★☆☆☆)
This book has a pretty low Goodreads rating (3.49) so I didn’t have high hopes for it. I tried reading it as a print book, but I found the writing to be a bit cheesy and elementary, so I decided to listen to the audiobook. Sometimes, a book that’s not well-written comes off better in audio form! Unfortunately, this is not the case for this book. It’s 1946 in London and the city is trying to rebuild itself after the Blitz. It’s a tough time with food rations and few job prospects, which is why many Londoners seek “unseemly” professions like thieving. The best thieves are under the wing of Alice Diamond, dubbed “the Queen of Thieves.” Her all-female gang of thieves is the scourge of high-end stores throughout London, and when Alice takes a young, pregnant girl named Nell under her wing, Alice thinks she’s found a new right-hand woman. But is she? While I appreciated learning about this time and place in history, I just found this book to be rather boring. It should be exciting, right? Female thieves! London in the ’40s! But no, it wasn’t well-written and the plot was meandering. I’d skip this one. (library audiobook, 2023)
Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (★★★☆☆)
Ahh… this book. It was a nice, easy read but I finished it feeling a bit unsatisfied. It follows the story of Kathleen and Devon. Kathleen’s husband of three days was unexpectedly killed in an accident and in turn, it gives his cousin, Devon, the earldom and ensuing estate. He doesn’t want this responsibility—nor to be saddled with his cousin’s three young sisters and his widow. Not to mention, his cousin was in massive debt that Devon is now forced to deal with. And then, as these romances are wont to do, the more time Devon and Kathleen spend with each other, the more they realize their deep feelings for one another. This was a fine romance, but I found Devon to be particularly churlish and demanding. He was just an asshole, not a rake with a heart of gold. Eh. I’ll probably keep reading the series when I need a palate cleanser, knowing I’m not going to get much depth from the books. (library e-book, 2015)
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