I know, it’s only the 26th and there are four more days. I probably will finish another book before the end of the month, but I’ve read the bulk of the books for the month. I didn’t read as many books as I have some months, but that’s okay. I started a couple that I haven’t finished, though, so I’m still reading.

Most of the books I read this month were lighter fare. At least four were murder mysteries of one sort of another. A couple could be classified as romance novels. One of the books fell into the category of magical realism. Several were historical novels.

Irina Shapiro did not disappoint in the latest addition to the Redmond and Haze series. Murder of Innocents had Dr. Jason Redmond and Detective Daniel Haze searching for the murderer of two little boys. Dr. Redmond may be an aristocrat, but he is from America. He served as a surgeon for the Union army during the American Civil War and spent time as a prisoner of war in the infamous Andersonville prison. His knowledge of anatomy and medicine and Haze’s skills as an investigator make them a formidable team.

C. Hope Clark’s Reunion on Edisto follows the career of Callie, Edisto Beach’s first female police chief. In the seventh installment of the series, Callie, now sober for nearly a year and in a stable relationship with Mark, the owner of the new Mexican restaurant, El Marco, has to search for a missing classmate who has come to the island to plan a class reunion. As Callie works the case, she also solves a cold case from her high school days. While I was not sympathetic to Callie when I first began the series, I began to like her as I near the end of the series.

I read two books by Madeline Martin last year, The Last Bookshop in London and The Keeper of Hidden Books, both set during World War II. The Booklover’s Library is also set during World War II. Like The Last Bookshop in London, The Booklover’s Library is set in England. The Booklover’s Library begins before the Blitz and tells the story of a young widow who must make the agonizing decision to send her daughter to the countryside for safety. She also must find a job to support herself during this time. The novel speaks to the power of books to comfort during hard times. I learned more about the effects of war on women and children from this book. That’s the power of a good historical novel; it brings the history to life.

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina is way out of my comfort zone in terms of genre. I liked the book. However, it took me quite a few pages and chapters to buy into the elements of magical realism. There are a couple of things that really struck me in the story. Orquidea’s need to have roots takes on a physical aspect when she turns into a tree the day she dies. We all need that place we can put down roots and belong. Marimar finds that place in Four Rivers on her grandmother’s estate. The second thing that resonated was the idea of “inheritance.” What do we actually inherit from our ancestors?

The book I disliked this month is That Night in the Library. I could not sympathize with any of the characters; they were all unlikable to some degree. The death from some kind of poisoning of one member of the small group gathered to re-enact an ancient Greek ritual sets off a series of additional deaths. By the time the group is rescued, only two of the seven remain alive. Moreover, with the exception of Kip, the first to die, nearly every one of the others kills, helps to kill, or witnesses the violent death of others. This is a “locked room” mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie, but there are no redeeming characters in this novel, and no feeling that justice has been served in the end.

Studies at the School by the Sea is a light-hearted romance of two teachers from two different schools, both English teachers, and both concerned with the well-being of their students. However, there are obstacles to their romance ranging from an ex-fiance’s accident to the lack of privacy on a school Outward Bound retreat. I haven’t read the first three books in the series; however, that did not hinder me from enjoying this book.

My pick, though, for the book of the month is Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries. Emily goes to an isolated island in the Arctic Circle to conduct research for book, an encyclopedia of faeries. From facing hostile villagers and down-right mean changelings, Emily has a number of adventures. When her colleague joins her, though, things get really interesting, and she discovers his secret identity. I had fun reading this book! I do enjoy a good fantasy.