Book review: Sue Hallgarth: Death Comes: A Willa Cather And Edith Lewis Mystery

Death Comes: A Willa Cather and Edith Lewis Mystery

This may contain spoilers

Author: Sue Hallgarth.

Title: Death comes: A Willa Cather and Edith Lewis mystery.

Genre: Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction,

I signed up for poetic book tours and l were emailed off Serena Agusto-Cox about reviewing this book.

Book Dedication: For Hilda Raz poet, friend, editor extraordinaire.

First of all I would like to say a big thank you to Sue Hallgarth for sending me this book and giving me the chance to read it. I want to say a big thank you to Serena Agusto-Cox for contacting me and taking the time to email me.

I would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it is good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you do not read books like this.

I normally read books of this genre but l also stepped outside my comfort zone l am so glad l did because I have read so many great books and come across some great authors.

I highly recommend this book.

This book has 266 pages and 20 chapters in it.

Advance praise for death comes.

They are back! If you loved on the rocks, you will be thrilled to have this new adventure of Willa and Edith. This time they are in new mexico tracking down the unsolved murders of too many women. Sue Hallgarth has done it again. The combination of deep knowledge of the geographic terrain, it is history, Cather's literary preoccupations, and Hallgarth's feminist sensibility have bought us another suspenseful, terrific read. - Joan W. Scott, author of gender and the politics of history and the fantasy of feminist history.

My new favorite book is death comes! It made distant memories real and simpatico. What a delight to see them and the beautiful taos you let me walk through. I especially want to thank you for including Spud. He was always there, so it is nice to have him recognized. I only knew him as an old man who always stopped to listen to a child. You showed me a young man who would become the one l knew and loved. - Claudia Smith Miller, great-granddaughter of Mabel Dodge Luhan.

Death comes is a clever play on the novel that Willa Cather worked on in taos, new mexico, in the summers of 1925 and 1926, death comes for the archbishop, Hallgarth has done serious historical and cultural research, cleverly highlighting Willa Cather's virtues as a strong-willed sleuth.. this is a very good read, as a story of 1920's taos – including race and class relations, as a portrait of the Mabel Dodge Luhan circle, and, last but not least, as a murder mystery. - Lois Rudnick, author of Mabel Dodge Luhan: new woman, new worlds.

Willa Cather is travelling in northern new mexico while publishing her new manuscript death comes for the archbishop when she and her companion Edith Lewis are caught up in the mystery surrounding the deaths of three women near D.H. Lawrence's ranch. An intriguing story for those of us who always wished we had been there when Mabel Dodge Luhan held court in taos for luminaries of art and literature. - Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of Isabel's daughter and the laws of harmony.

The second book in Hallgarth's Willa Cather and Edith Lewis mystery series captures the vivid and compelling landscape of the taos, NM territorial west. A historical mystery with real people – think Mabel Dodge and Tony Luhan, long John Dunn, Arthur Manby – and everyday life in the settling west. Compelling and richly imagined by a masterful storyteller l did not want it to end. - Betty Palmer, events coordinator, op.cit. Books, taos NM.

Our favorite literary sleuths are back! And this time Willa Cather and Edith Lewis are summering in taos, new mexico. Guests of Mabel Dodge Luhan, the amiable pair are planning for nothing more taxing than a month's worth of writing and painting. Then an unsettling excursion to the D.H. Lawrence ranch changes everything. Entertaining and edifying, death comes is a compelling mystery set in new mexico, that place Cather described as a ' landscape one longed for when one was away'. - Sharon Oard Warner, co-director D.H. Lawrence ranch and author of Sophie's house of cards.

Praise for on the rocks.

“one of ' ten titles to pick up now' … a fictionalized glimpse in to the partnership between the novelist and her artist companion, who team up to solve a murder on an island in the bay of funby”. - O, the Oprah magazine.

Cather fans will enjoy the atmosphere, and Hallgarth captures the local color well, providing a look at the eccentric island residents, the small-town politics, and the life of the (two) women's communities”. - American library association booklist.

The historic, literary mystery is the first of what could be a terrific new series. The settling – on the Canadian island of grand manan in 1929 – is captivating and the story engaging. On the rocks is a real treat!”. - rose city reader.

I enjoyed the run and energy of on the rocks “ - Lucia Woods Lindley, member of board of governors the Willa Cather foundation.

“on the rocks is a riveting addition to historical fiction collections and those with a love for the artistic life”. - the Midwest book review.

“utterly absorbing, compulsively readable. Hallgarth spins her tale with an artistry that allows us to imagine a time and place as compelling as a dream”. - Kathleen Hill, author of who occupies this house and still waters in Niger.

“Sue Hallgarth incorporates the spectacular settling of grand manan in to a mystery set among summer colonies of feminist artists, colorful island types, and suspicious visitors. Cather readers will detect her pronouncements on writing and life, and the island rock itself, a Cather symbol of survival, becomes here a solid contrast to the human foibles that play out on its surface”. - John Murphy, member of board of governors, the Willa Cather foundation.

“on the rocks is sophisticated and yet has a wonderful innocence. It conveys a convincing sense of the period. The characters are rounded, real. It is funny it is compelling. It is a good tale.” - Jake Page, author of the Mo Bowdre mystery series.

Cather afictionados will be especially interested in the author's new take on Willa Cather's personal history. The amible cottage colony on grand manan island in the bay of funby, where Edith and Willa built their summer retreat in the 1920's, is lovingly captured in this first book in a sparkling new literary mystery series”. - Nancy Rutland, founder of bookworks, Albuquerque, NM.

Love, love, love... highly recommended to those who enjoy this historical genre, and to fans of great women authors!. I will be curious to see if ms. Hallgarth has this as the start of a series or not. She is an expert on Cather and cleverly' knows her well”. - Beth's book-nook Blog.

“ The strength of the book is in Hallgarth's ability to paint a scene. Her research about grand manan, Cather and Lewis, and the time period are obviously top notch”. - wildmoobooks.

“Nice read with a beautiful portrait of a Canadian island in the 1920's, a strong feminist portrait of Willa Cather and her partner Edith, and a murder mystery to boot! Well-written with some beautifully painted' scenes and an intriguing insight to the way we all tend to think, wandering from one association to another before we catch ourselves! I've never seen that in a book before and thoroughly enjoyed it”. - David Roberts, M.D., author of practice makes perfect: how one doctor found the meaning of lives.

Synopsis: Following on the rocks, Sue Hallgarth's first Willa Cather and Edith Lewis mystery. Death comes gives us another glimpse in to the life and work of the Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and her talented life partner the year is 1926. Willa and Edith return to Mabel Dodge Luhan's pink adobe in tao's NM. Willa is writing death comes for the archbishop. Edith is sketching taos pueblo and hoping for a visit to the nearby D.H. Lawrence ranch, the previous summer they had stumbled on to a woman's body. Now the headless bodies of two women add to the mystery. Sue Hallgarth presents an intimate portrait of Cather, Lewis, the spectacular new mexico landscape, and the famous artists and writers. Mabel Dodge Luhan gathered in taos.

Review: I found this book really easy to get in to and harder to put down once l started reading it. I would put some essential oils in my humidifier and put the lights on my humidifier on and chill on my bed and listen to music or something on TV. I sometimes light a candle when l am writing this book. It is good to chill reading a good book. My cat sometimes joins me on my bed or one of the other three cats that live me join me. I also took a picture of this book and shared it to my Instagram that l made just for pictures of my books it is called Donnareviewsbooks. My cat Oreo was lying next to me as l write this book review. I sometimes write book reviews on my bed or at my desk in my bedroom that is also my living room, library and my office. I was sad to read that three women was murdered and that people did not know who the women was or who killed them. I hope they find who killed them. I love the pictures in this book. I like that Willa Cather has a life partner Edith Lewis. Willa and Edith sounds like great women and friends. I would love to read more about everybody in this book. Blade sounds like a nasty pieces of work. I think the women who was murdered have something to do with him. Adam sounds like a really nice guy l am glad Maria is with Adam and not Blade because l think if she was still with him she would be dead like the other women. The people who come looking for Blade sound so horrible l am so glad that they did not hurt Adam or Maria. I was sad to finish reading this book. I would love to buy more books from Sue Hallgarth as l got this book for free. I can not put in to words how great this book is l would tell people to read it for themselves to know how great it really is. I was hooked after reading the synopsis. I am so glad that Adam and Maria are going to find Spud and tell him what is going on at his ranch and that the person who was staying there was keeping women that did not speak English and he had threaten to kill them and cut their throats and showed the heads to the others to scare them. It is a shame Maria can not speak English but when they get to where Spud is. Somebody speaks the same language as Maria. So she will be able to tell them what Blade was like and about the other women. I was sad to read that agent Dan was shot but glad he survived. The sheriff of taos sounds so lazy and does not care about the three women because they are unknown and he clearly that somebody shot agent Dan. I was scared to read that Adam and Maria come face to face with Blade for the first time since he sold Maria to Adam. I am glad the shots missed Maria. It was funny to read that Blade's horse ran away after Adam's horse and the mule that Maria was riding. Leaving him jumping up and down in the middle of the road shouting about his horse. I am so glad Adam found it funny. I hope Maria is still on the mule when Adam finds them and she is not hurt. I do not blame Adam and Maria being scared of Blade because he is a nasty piece of work. I hope Maria and Adam make it to Spud before the weather starts because they could get poorly and the horse and mule need to be put in a barn away from the nasty weather. This book is totally addicting and I and I wish l could stay up all night to read and review this book but l get migraines. I am in love with this book. These women are being held against their will. I was sad to read that Florence and Angelica was kidnapped and think they do not have a choose but to stay where they are because they must think that if they leave they will have no money or be homeless but they could end up like the three murdered women. I am glad Dick and Nick give up easy because some of them could end up dead if there was a shoot out. Plus Adam was still injured and Spud did not know how to use a gun.I am glad with the help of Amelia Maria could tell them about Blade and the other women and it was nice that Maria was given one of the other women's bracelet. I also reviewed this book on goodreads, amazon UK and amazon US.

About the Author: Sue Hallgarth is a former English professor she has written scholarly articles on Willa Cather and Edith Lewis, and this is her second book of fiction featuring the two of them. Her first book in the series is on the rocks, set in 1929 on the island of grand manan in new Brunswick, Canada. She lives in corrales, NM.

Follow Sue on Facebook at Suehallgarthauthor, on twitter @suehallgarth, and on goodreads.com and follow Sue's blog, reviews, and other news about her books and writing at Suehallgarth.com.

About This Book: I really like this book cover and the picture of the mountains on the front cover and l love that the writing is in black because it stands out more.

Star Rating: Five Out Of Five Stars.

I wish l could rate this book more then five stars because it is worth more than the five stars l rated it.

Book Review: Simon Laffy: Seed Of Satan

Seed of Satan

This review may contain spoilers

Author: Simon Laffy

Title: Seed Of Satan

Genre: historical fiction, thriller, suspense, military, fiction, historical,

Where l got this book: somebody contacted my sister asking her to review this book but they asked her if she knew anybody else who reviewed books and she said send me two copies and l will pass one on to my sister.

I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review somebody on behalf of the author contacted my sister through her book reviewing blog.

First of all l would like to say a big thank you to Simon Laffy for sending me this book and giving me a chance to read it.

I would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it is good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you do not read books like this.

I normally do not read books of this genre but l stepped outside my comfort zone with authors and genres l am so glad l did because l have read so many great books and come across some great authors.

Reviews by other people:

Against the background of war torn and embittered Europe, seed of Satan runs a taut journey through 20^th century history, detailing the role and rise of science as an agent of freedom and death. Laffy's prose runs at a high speed as we witness the characters come to grips with what this new power means, reaching a crucible of social and spiritual disquiet on the western

front. - Kailas Elmer, Trebuchet magazine.

Simon is a really natural storyteller, in that he makes you care about the characters and what happens to them. Like all excellent writers, he keeps you engrossed and when you have finished the book, the temptation is to start reading it all over again. A sure sign of quality. - Malcolm Dome, Journalist and Author.

Simon successfully blurs the lines between fact and fiction while keeping within the framework of historical accuracy at the same time making sure the reader is totally engaged. Well done, Simon. - Phil Collen, Rock Musician and Author.

Book Dedication: For Rita.

This book has 285 pages and 12 chapters in it.

Credits: The parable of the old man and the young, plus excerts from dulce et decorum est, strange meeting, arms and the boy and anthem for doomed youth. Written by Wilfred Owen as appearing in “Wilfred Own: the war poems” published by Chatto and windus, 1994 edited by Jon Stallworthy. With the kind assistance of Yvonne Morris of the Wilfred Own association.

Edited by Joy Hutchinson and Peter Barnacle.

Cover design by Ann Beedham.

Publicity by Neil Anderson media LTD.

Special thanks to: Betty, Danny, Cabby and Stevie Laffy, Ed Hutchinson, Phil and Helen Collen, Chris Epting, Reina James, Claudia Cavazos, Malcolm Dome, Kailas Elmer, William Warby and all my family and friends.

Synopsis: Some things should not be messed around with. Somewhere, fools are playing with fire sometimes, a slight mistake can tip the balance. Someone is about to kill us all. Deep in the heart of the Kaiser's reich, scientist's work desperately to produce a form of germ warfare that could provide the elusive breakthrough on the western front, thereby bringing ultimate victory to the central powers. One young englishman is willing to risk his all to try and prevent them from succeeding.

Review: I found this book really easy to get in to and hard to put down once l started reading it. I was sad to read that lady Amelia ambrose passed away giving birth to her twin boys William and Michael .It did not take me long to read this book. I can put in to words how great this book is l would tell people to read it for themselves to know how great it really is. I was sad to read that William's plane went down but glad he survived and the army asked Michael to go back to Germany as William to find out about the seed. It was horrible to read that Michael had to kill an innocent woman to keep his secret. I wish this book would not end. I was really very sad to finish reading this book. I was sad to read that loads of innocent people was dying due to a deadly virus called the seed. It killed any animal or human that breathed it in. I was very sad to read that Michael died at the hands of his brother who he once shared a womb with. If Michael had lived he could of saved all the people who breathed in the seed because he had the antidote serum. I was really sad that all the people who was working on the seed was killed in cold blood but not before Michael was given the antidote serum. Michael did not want to kill any more people. I wish Michael had survived l do not understand how a father can turn against one of his children. William and Michael's father sounds like he only wanted his beloved William and not Michael. I am glad Michael had his mother's family to love and support him. I do not understand how two brothers who once shared a womb could end up fighting against each other one for Germany and one for England. Fathers are suppose to love all his children the same I wish William and Michael's mother had survived their birth as things may have been different. I was glad that William did not kill his wife. It was really nice that she helped Michael. I wish Michael had got to marry Rachel. I just wish William treated his wife better so she did not have to turn to Michael to feel love. I was hooked on this book after reading the first page. When I was reading this book I would put some essential oils and put the lights on my humidifier and chill on my bed and listen to magic or something on TV or netflix. I also put my christmas lights on that are on my christmas tree. I sometimes light a candle when I was reading this book.

About the author: Simon Laffy was born at home in Hoxton, London. He started playing music at fourteen years old, inspired by his musician brother, Steve. He joined his first band at fifteen and was playing in London clubs (Dingwalls, the Embassy, Maunkberrys) before being old enough to be in them. Simon signed his first record deal (with glam rock band Girl) at twenty one years old and toured Europe, the far east and the UK. Subsequently he has played at most venues in Britain. Including Wembley arena, Hammersmith odeon, the marquee club and at the reading and phoenix festivals. His music career includes working as a producer, composer, arranger, performer, engineer, programmer, live mixer and DJ. He has played on fifteen albums and eighteen singles, as well as performing on countless studio sessions, TV and radio appearances, interviews, photo sessions and approximately two thousand gigs. Recently, Simon has formed a rock band, Man Raze, with his former girl bandmate Phil Collen from Def Leppard and Paul Cook from the sex pistols, began a dance album project called pearl avenue with Joel Parkes, the Canadian  singer/songwriter, and started a remix production team called the manic mechanics. He has also formed two record companies, surrealist records and derrida records. Simon Laffy is the brother of Gerry Laffy.

About the Book: I really love the book cover on this book and the picture. I love that some of the writing is textures. The colours of the writing makes the writing stand out more.

Star Rating: Five Out Of Five Stars.

I wish l could rate this book more than five stars because it is worth more than the five stars I rated it.

Book Review: Sarra Manning: After The Last Dance

After the Last Dance

This is the book cover l have 

Author: Sarra Manning 

Title: After The Last Dance

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical, Chick lit, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Contemporary Fiction, 

Book Dedication: To all the men and women who passed through the doors of rainbow corner. Thank you for your inspiration, Your courage and your sacrifice. 

This book l got for free as part of a goodreads giveaway and firstread l never won any thing before but l want to say thank you to goodreads for having a great site and l want to say thank you to the person who hosted the giveaway and picking me as a winner. 

I am glad this book is on my bookshelf. I would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it is good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you do not read books like this. I normally read book of this genre but l also stepped outside my comfort zone with authors and genres l am so glad l did because l have read so many great books. I highly recommend this book. The author is really nice.

Synopsis: Two women, Two love affairs, One unforgettable story. Kings cross station, 1943. Rose arrives in London hoping to swap the drudgery of wartime for romance, Glamour and jiving with gls at rainbow corner, the famous dance hall in Piccadilly circus. As the bombs fall, Rose loses her heart to a pilot but will lose so much more before the war has done its worst. Las Vegas, present day, A beautiful woman in a wedding dress walks in to a seedy bar and asks the first man she sees to marry her. When Leo slips a ring on to Jane's finger, He has no idea that his new wife will stop at nothing to get what she wants. So when Jane meets Rose, now a formidable older lady, there is no love lost between them. But with time running out, Can Rose and Jane come together to make peace with the tragic secrets that have always haunted their lives? After the last dance is an extraordinary story of two women, Separated by time but connected by fate, That will make you believe in the redemptive power of unexpected love.

Review: I found this book really easy to get in to l was hooked after reading the first few pages. It was horrible to read that Jane's fiancee left her on their wedding day to do work. Jane wants to find somebody to marry her before her birthday she will be 27 she goes to the bar in her wedding dress. I enjoyed reading this book and about Jane and Rose. I would like to read more from this author. I got a arc of this book. This book has 421 pages and 38 chapters in it. Jane's fiancee did not leave her on their wedding day like she told Leo. She was the one who left Andrew on their wedding day. Andrew was heartbroken. Leo took most of the money they won leaving Jane only a bit. I was sad to read that Jane left her fiancee on their wedding day. this is a great storyline. I can not put in to words how great this book really is l would tell people to read it for themselves to know how great it really is. Leo and Jane know they can not stay married. Leo does drugs and like drinking and Jane does not do drugs or drinks. Jane wants Andrew to make a fresh start without her. Rose wants to join american red cross but she is not twenty one but Sylvia is going to help her get papers saying she is twenty one. Being part of american red cross is one of Rose's dreams. I was sad to read that Leo's great auntie was ill but Leo wanted to take Jane home to London with him so he could see his great auntie and let Jane meet his great auntie and maybe the rest of his family which l think is nice but Jane told him they could not stay married. It was nice that Jane agreed to go with Leo to see his great auntie who was very poorly and he wanted them to act like a happily married couple. Jane went along with the plan to act like a devoted wife for his great auntie. Leo's great auntie was called Rose. His great auntie made Jane and Leo stay for dinner and get to know Jane more. It was sad that Leo's great auntie has cancer. Leo's great auntie Rose loved Jane and was happy Leo had married Jane. She thought Jane was beautiful. Rose was working as a american red cross lady and she meet a bomber named Danny. Her friends tried to keep Danny and Rose apart. It was hard to put this book down once l started reading it. I Love reading books about war and the olden days. I can not get enough of this book. There is a bit of sex,drugs and drink in it but id is a great book. I hope Leo gets off the drugs and drink because he and Jane makes a great couple. It was sad that Danny's friend Phil died when his plane went down in flames. Rose was heartbroken by the news of Phil's death. Leo's mother was in town visiting Leo's great auntie Rose. She was coming for dinner Rose knew it would be the last time she sees her. Leo's great auntie Rose had stage four secondary liver cancer she was on painkillers she had months maybe weeks to live. Danny has not written to Rose she fears the worse. It was nice of Jane to go and talk to Leo's mother. Leo sounds horrible for not going to hug or talk to his mother he should have talked or hugged her because she give him life he would not be alive if it was not for his mother. Leo's great auntie Rose was Rose who was a american red cross worker. This book is full of surprises. Jane thinks Leo come back for his auntie's money Leo come back for his great auntie's. Leo said it is not the case he come because he loves and cares about her not her money. It was nice of Edward to be building a house to help people who lost everything due to the war. I fall more in love with this book as l get through more pages. This book gets better and better. Jane loves how friendly Leo's great auntie and mother is. They both sound like great women. Edward sounds like a great guy who wants to help people after the war which is a really nice thing. It was sad to read that because Danny put a ring on Rose's finger that he thought he could take anything he wanted from Rose. Danny raped Rose and she wanted nothing to do with Danny. Jane wants to stay married to Leo . There is 424 pages and 38 chapters in this book. it is good that Leo is trying to change his life around hope he stays off the drugs. I feel for Rose after what she been through l hope she does not get pregnant by Danny. Danny sounds like he thinks he can take whatever he wants from women. I hope Rose does not get together with Danny and she founds someone who loves her and won't hurt her and she she finds a guy she will happily marry and have kids with him. I would love to read more about Jane,Leo,Rose And Leo's mother. I can not get enough of this book. I have enjoyed reading this story. I like that Jane and Leo told Rose she needed stronger pain relief. Jane wanted to hear all about Rose's past which Rose happily told her. It was nice that Rose knitted a teddy for the children who Edward was helping and took them chocolate bars. It was horrible to read that the 4 adults and 3 children was so skinny and scared and they was hidden in a cellar for two years because they was Jewish. Jewish people who do not hide are sent concentration camps some of the Jewish people would die in in the camps and some of them would be rescued. Rose helped the adults to chairs while Edward made them a drink and got them something to eat. It was sad to read that there was a bombing in London and Rose's house was left in rumble and Rose did not know if her friends are alive or dead. Edward was there to support Rose and to help her. I feel for Rose having lost all her belongings and maybe her friends too. Rose was heartbroken. All Rose's friends died and Rose went to identified Maggie's body because she had no family. Rose was full of soot but she had no clothes to change in to. Rose went to all her friends funerals. Edward was there to say goodbye to Rose's friends. Rose and Edward loved each other but Rose was scared of being raped again. Edward would not hurt Rose in any way. It is really horrible to read that Rose is in so much pain. I hope Leo and Jane stay together as husband and wife as they make a great couple. This is a great book and storyline. It was sad to read about Rose's death and she wanting to be back with her friends. Leo and Jane took Rose's death hard they was heartbroken. Jane hide under the bed after Rose's passing away. Rose told everybody want she wanted to wear in her coffin and she did not want a open coffin. They was going to ask Rose's hairdresser to do Rose's hair the way she liked it. I would love to know what secrets Jane is hiding. I hope Leo and Jane have a baby together if they have a girl they should name her Rose. Leo made peace with his mother. It was sad that Jane was made to do things no child should do and she was raped by many men. Jane killed a man who raped her and she ran away from home and she meet Charles on the train he paid for her ticket. I am glad everybody stay in touch after Rose's death. Jane and Leo stay together as a married couple and Rose was reunited with all of her friends after her death she was also back in the arms of her one true love Edward they was all dancing on the dance floor in rainbow corner where their journey started. Rose seen Danny from time to time but she was safe in Edward's arms. Danny lied to Rose when they meet he said he loved her and would marry her but he was already married with two children and Edward told Rose that Danny was back with his wife and two children. 

Star Rating: Five out of Five stars 

About The Author: Sarra Manning is an author and journalist. She has written for the guardian, Elle, Grazia, Red and you magazine, and is the author of several best selling young adult novels including guitar girl, The diary of a crush trilogy and adorkable. After the last dance is her fifth adult novel. Sarra lives in north London with her staffordshire bull terrier miss Betsy, And prides herself on her unique ability to accessories.