I have a tendency to save the very best for last, and I think that's what happened this month. All three of these are on my to-read list (my list is very long, you may have noticed...). A twisted psychological suspense novel, a historical novel set in Tuscany and full of secrets, and finally a second historical novel, this time set amid the early days of World War II in France. Please do read on!
Sometimes I Lie, by Alice Feeney. This debut from BBC News veteran Feeney is a serpentine tale of madness, betrayal and murder. Amber Reynolds wakes up in a hospital, but she cannot move or speak. What she can do, however, is hear everything around her, even if no one realizes it. She doesn't remember what happened to put her in her coma, but she thinks her husband has something to do with it. The story alternates between her paralyzed present, the events a week before her accident, and her childhood diaries. The question that drives the story is: if you really believe something is true, is it still a lie? If you're looking for a new psychological suspense novel, this is one to try.
The Italian Party, by Christina Lynch. Part spy novel, part comedy of manners, part love letter to Italy, this debut novel set in sultry 1950s Siena finds an American couple in love with their new home, each of them buried in their own secrets. For CIA operative Michael, he's working a cover story that he's in Italy to sell Fords. In reality, his mission is to make sure the Communist mayor is defeated. It is the Cold War, after all. His wife, Scottie, doesn't have a clue about Michael's real job, she's just trying to be the best housewife she can be. Even if she is carrying a baby that isn't her husband's. When Scottie's teenage Italian tutor goes missing, chaos, as they say, ensues. A detailed, tongue-in-cheek look at what is often imagined to be an era of innocence.
The Room on Rue Amelie, by Kristin Harmel. When three very different people come together in the face of war, they must summon courage, not just to defy their enemies, but to trust each other in order to survive. Ruby came to France in 1939 as a newlywed with French husband Marcel. As the Nazi's invade, however, Ruby's marriage begins to disintegrate. Charlotte is only eleven when the Nazi's take Paris and cannot imagine things getting worse after the Jewish restrictions are enforced. Then the mass deportations begin. Thomas joins the British Royal Air Force to defend his country, but when he loses his mother during the Blitz, he wonders if he's making any difference at all. Fans of books like Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale and Martha Hall Kelly's Lilac Girls will want to make sure to check out Harmel's latest.
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