Kate’s 2¢: “Her fearful symmetry: a novel” by Audrey Niffenegger

“Her fearful symmetry: a novel” by Audrey Niffenegger

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Laura Giannarelli did a good job of narrating this intriguing story of two sets of twins with quite a unique twist at the end.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

audreyniffenegger.com

Audrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963) is an American writer, artist, and academic. Her debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife, published in 2003, was a bestseller.

Biography[edit]

Audrey Niffenegger was born in 1963 in South Haven, Michigan. At the age of two,[2] she and her family moved to Evanston, Illinois, and she has since spent the majority of her life living in or close to Chicago.[3] Niffenegger started writing books when she was six years old. Niffenegger completed her undergraduate degree at the Art Institute of Chicago where she worked on becoming a visual artist.[3] After completing her undergraduate degree, she got her M.F.A at Northwestern University.[4] From 1994 to 2015, Niffenegger served on the faculty of the Creative Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago, where she co-founded the Columbia College Chicago Center for the Book and Paper Arts.[5]

Niffenegger is also the founding member of T3 or Text 3, an artist and writer’s group which performs and exhibits in Chicago. She is an alumna and board member of the Ragdale Foundation. She started making books herself by using processes such as intaglio and letterpress. She also wrote many novels which were produced on an offset press.[6]

She founded Artists Book House.[7] In 2024, Niffenegger announced that the center’s home would be built in the Old Irving Park neighborhood.[8]

From June 21 to November 10, 2013, the National Museum of Women in the Arts exhibited Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger, a retrospective of her paintings, drawings, prints, and book art that “reflect her captivating narrative talent and her explorations of life, mortality, and magic.”[9] The catalog was written by Niffenegger with Susan Fisher Sterling, Krystyna Wasserman, and Mark Pascale.

Personal life[edit]

Niffenegger is married to cartoonist Eddie Campbell. Niffenegger and Campbell collaborated on the visual novel Bizarre Romance to celebrate the Comics Unmasked exhibit at the British Library.[25]

Niffenegger describes herself as “somewhere in the spectrum of agnosticism and atheism” and ascribes her disbelief to her Catholic background.[26]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Her fearful symmetry: a novel DB70505

Author: Niffenegger, Audrey

Reading Time: 15 hours, 21 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Laura Giannarelli

Subject: Psychological Fiction

Downloaded: 04/26/2026

Mirror-image twins Julia and Valentina inherit the London flat of Aunt Elspeth Noblin, their mother’s estranged twin sister. After moving from Chicago to London, the young women meet obsessive-compulsive neighbor Martin, Elspeth’s shy younger lover Robert, and Elspeth’s ghost, who has plans for Robert and Valentina. 2009.

New York : Scribner, 2009.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Her one mistake” by Heidi Perks

“Her one mistake” by Heidi Perks

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   In light British accents, Julie Maisey, Kristy Dillon, and Sally Scott dd a good job of narrating this emotional story. It is time to let abused women know that they can reach out and safely get out of the abusive situation.

From the web:

I have always loved reading and writing.

For as long as I can remember I’ve been making up stories, poems and even magazines that I’d sell to family members for 20p back in the eighties. I fell in love with Enid Blyton and books like The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and somehow managed to get through GCSEs and A-levels while spending most of the lessons staring out of the window and creating other worlds in my head.  

But this was as far as it went, and instead I went onto university to study Retail Management and then started a fifteen year career in marketing, where I met my husband, and had my first child.

In 2012, just after my second child was born, I took redundancy from my job, and decided it was a good time to make some changes to my life. And one of these was to see if I could write a book.

It took a year to write a full novel, which I managed to complete by setting myself word count deadlines. I was then accepted onto the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative online Novel Writing Course, which fuelled my desire to become an author even more. But it took five years, two different agents and many rejections before I finally became a published writer. Writing is a passion, and I feel incredibly lucky to be doing a job that I love.

I write whenever and wherever I can. Often this has been up to the kitchen table but I am excited to soon be moving into my new ‘office’ in the garden!

Much of my inspiration comes from where I live and the areas surrounding it. My home is in Bournemouth and there are some stunning places along the south coast that I have used as locations for my books. See if you can spot them! They range from Portland, Lymington, Brownsea Island, West Dorset and soon to be the Isle of Wight. Sometimes the darkest things can happen in the most beautiful places! 

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

 Her one mistake DB115162

Author: Perks, Heidi

Reading Time: 10 hours, 1 minute

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Julie Maisey, Kristy Dillon, Sally Scott

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

Downloaded: 04/26/2026

“Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing—and admit that she’s solely to blame. Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet is more isolated than ever. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter…” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Simon & Schuster Audio, 2019.

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“Between Earth and Sky” by Amanda Skenandore

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Emily Sutton-Smith did a good job narrating this Psychological, historical novel. It presents a dark period in the history of the United States, when well meaning people did a horrible injustice to the Native Americans.

A few take-aways:

–She watched the sun glide toward thehorizon, until it hung red and brilliant above the trees. Its rays, for a fleeting moment, bridge between earth and sky.

…for all their good intensions, they hadn’t really saved them at all.

–Harry (or Asku) believed that the sinuous colors were the spirits of the dead dancing through the sky.

Featured snippet from the web

Amanda Skenandore is an award-winning author of historical fiction and a registered nurse. Her books have been translated into multiple languages and garnered accolades from the American Library Association, Reader’s Digest, Silicon Valley Reads, and Apple Books. She is a 2024 Nevada Arts Council’s literary fellow.

Profile – Amanda Skenandor

Amanda lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their pet turtle, Lenore.…

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Between earth and sky DB92181

Author: Skenandore, Amanda

Reading Time: 11 hours, 37 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Emily Sutton-Smith

Subjects: Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction

1906. When Alma Mitchell opens the morning’s paper, she discovers that a childhood friend, Harry Muskrat, or Asku as she knew him, stands accused of murdering a federal land agent. Alma must reckon with her past as she asks her husband to help defend Asku. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

[Ashland, Oregon] : Blackstone Audio, [2018]

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Kate’s 2¢: “Dinner with the president: food, politics, and a history of breaking bread at the White House” by Alex Prud’homme

“Dinner with the president: food, politics, and a history of breaking bread at the White House” by Alex Prud’homme

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Pat Grimes did a good job of narrating this lengthy book. I found I was snacking a bit more often as I listened to the fascinating State Dinners, Presidential family dining habits, and the variety of international dishes served throughout the ages.

   Although I don’t agree with the author’s political bias (Perhaps his bias was fueled by not being able to get invited to a real White House dinner.), I enjoyed learning about the various chefs who served in the White House.

A few take-aways:

–It is hard to remain enemies when you’ve broken bread together.

–Reasonable men consulting together, coolly, could not fail …to form a compromise.

–The Corona Virus showed there is strength in working together and weakness in dis union.

–The State Dinner honors the visiting head of state, is an assertion of power, and an extension of influence for both host and guest, and a celebration of successful negotiations.

–Rules of social engagement are practical tools that help people of diverse backgrounds get along.

–Dinner is a cheerful celebration of food, family, community, and thankfulness that helps bind us together.

–Dining is a powerful primal tool for consensus building, persuasion and message signaling  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alex Prud’homme (born 1961) is an American journalist and the author of several non-fiction books.

Early life and education[edit]

Prud’homme is a native of New York City, a 1984 graduate of Middlebury College, and attended the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.[1]

Writings[edit]

Prud’homme’s journalism has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Talk, Time, and People.[2]

Prud’homme collaborated with his great-aunt Julia Child on the book My Life in France (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006), her memoir of discovering food and life in postwar Paris and Marseille.[3] The book became a number one New York Times best-seller, and inspired half of the 2009 movie Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child. In 2007, the book won the Literary Food Writing award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).[4]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Dinner with the president: food, politics, and a history of breaking bread at the White House DB117592

Author: Prud’homme, Alex

Reading Time: 16 hours, 17 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Pat Grimes

Subjects: Biography of Heads of State and Political Figures, Cooking, U.S. History

Downloaded: 04/09/2026

“Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as U.S. presidents broke bread with friends or foe: Thomas Jefferson’s nationbuilding receptions in the new capital, Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grant’s state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Teddy Roosevelt’s groundbreaking supper with Booker T. Washington; Jimmy Carter’s cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David. Here Alex Prud’homme invites listeners into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of 26 of America’s most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways their choices affected food policy around the world. What our leaders say about food touches on everything from our nation’s shifting diet and local politics to global trade, science, religion, war, class, gender, race, and so much more. Prud’homme also details overlooked figures, like George Washington’s enslaved chef, Hercules Posey, whose meals burnished the president’s reputation before the cook narrowly escaped to freedom, and pioneering First Ladies, such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy, who used food and entertaining to build political and social relationships. As he weaves these stories together, Prud’homme shows that food is not just fuel when it is served to the most powerful people in the world. It is a tool of communication, a lever of power and persuasion, a form of entertainment, and a symbol of the nation.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Dreamscape Media, 2023.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The night we lost him: a novel” by Laura Dave

“The night we lost him: a novel” by Laura Dave

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Julia Whelan did a good job of narrating this mystery story. The name changes always trick me.

A few take Aways:

–I specialize in Neur-architecture, spaces that are healing; to benefit over-all well-being.

–I feel it moving forward…that thing that’s been coming at me.

–They’re sharing a small piece of the puzzle they don’t want us to solve.

–There are too many secrets in this family.

–He took joy in making things work and feel right.

–Her mother’s attention to rhythm and beauty.

–Fidelity is who you tell your stories to.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

lauradave.com

Laura Dave (born July 18, 1977) is an American novelist. She is the author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me, which became a New York Times bestseller and has been adapted for television.

Early life[edit]

Dave was born in New York City[1] and grew up in Scarsdale, New York.[2] Her interest in writing began when she was in elementary school.[3][4]

Dave graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999, where she received a B.A. in English. She has an MFA from the University of Virginia’s creative writing program.[5] She was a Henry Hoyns Fellow and a recipient of the Tennessee Williams Scholarship.[6][7] She received several awards for her writing including the AWP Intro Award in Short Fiction.[1]

Following graduate school, Dave worked as a freelance journalist for ESPN.[5]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The night we lost him: a novel DB124790

Author: Dave, Laura

Reading Time: 7 hours, 45 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Julia Whelan

Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction

“Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar–notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death. The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past–and uncover a family secret that changes everything”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

New York : Simon & Schuster Audio, 2024.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Night of fire: a novel” by Colin Thubron

“Night of fire: a novel” by Colin Thubron

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Ray Foushee did an excellent job of narrating this unusual story. The author built suspense by referring to the expanding fire as the scaffolding for each tenant’s memories to surface, not realizing the eminent danger.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colin Gerald Dryden Thubron (born 14 June 1939) is a British travel writer and novelist.[1] In 2008, The Times ranked him among the 50 greatest postwar British writers.[2] He is a contributor to The New York Review of Books,[3] The Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Thubron was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours. He is a Fellow and, between 2009 and 2017, was President of the Royal Society of Literature.[4]

Early years[edit]

Thubron is the son of Brigadier Gerald Thubron and of Evelyn (née Dryden), a collateral descendant of the poet John Dryden and of Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse Code. Thubron was born in London, England, and was educated at Eton College. Before becoming a writer, he worked for five years in publishing in London and New York City, and made independent documentary films that were shown on BBC television. He is married to the Shakespeare scholar Margreta de Grazia.

The Middle East[edit]

Thubron’s first travel book, Mirror to Damascus, was published in 1967, the first such book on the city for a century.[5] It was followed the next year by The Hills of Adonis: A Quest in Lebanon, a lyrical account of a journey through the country, pre-civil war, and the next year by Jerusalem. While starting a parallel career as a novelist, he completed a travel book on Cyprus, Journey into Cyprus, in 1974, just before Turkey invaded the island.

Russia and the Far East[edit]

In 1981, during the Brezhnev era, Thubron broke with his earlier work (on cities and small countries) and travelled by car into the Soviet Union, a journey recorded in Among the Russians. This was followed in 1987 by Behind the Wall: A Journey Through China (winner of the Hawthornden Prize[6] and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award),[7] and in 1994 by The Lost Heart of Asia, the record of a journey through the newly independent nations of Central Asia.

In 1999, his book In Siberia[8] (Prix Bouvier, France), an exploration of the farthest reaches of the ex-Soviet Union, was published. In an episode of the BBC Radio 4 programme Bookclub in 2018, Thubron discussed the book with the presenter James Naughtie and answered questions from the audience.[9] His 2007 book Shadow of the Silk Road describes a 7,000-mile journey from China to the Mediterranean encompassing cultures in which Thubron has been particularly interested: Islam, China, the former Soviet Union, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey.[10][11] His latest work is The Amur River: Between Russia and China (2021).

Writing[edit]

Most of Thubron’s novels are notably different from his travel books. Several describe settings of enforced immobility: a psychiatric hospital, a prison, an amnesiac’s mind. Notable among them are Emperor (1978), a study of the conversion of Constantine, A Cruel Madness (winner of the PEN/Macmillan Silver Pen Award),[12] and Falling (1989). Others, however, use travel or a fictional abroad: Turning Back the Sun (1991) and an imaginary journey to Vilcabamba, Peru, in To the Last City (2002), long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. It has been described as a “Heart of Darkness narrative” in a “Marquezian setting”.[13] His 2016 novel, Night of Fire, is his most ambitious yet: a multi-layered study of time and memory, which several reviewers named his masterpiece.[14]

Thubron says that he was influenced by Palgrave’s Golden Treasury as a schoolboy, and was initially inspired by the travel writing of Patrick Leigh Fermor, Jan Morris and Freya Stark. Thubron admires the English novelist William Golding[15] and chose Victor Gollancz’s anthology A Year of Grace (1950) as his book for Desert Island Discs.[16]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Night of fire: a novel DB87882

Author: Thubron, Colin

Reading Time: 12 hours, 5 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Ray Foushee

Subject: Psychological Fiction

A house near the English coastline is on fire. Each tenant is asleep as the fire approaches: the landlord, a priest, a neurosurgeon, a naturalist, a photographer, a man remembering his school days, and a world traveler. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2017.

New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, [2017]

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Kate’s 2¢: “The night she disappeared by Lisa Jewell

“The night she disappeared by Lisa Jewell

“ by  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Joanne Froggatt did a good job of narrating this intriguing story. The author managed to weave almost every social taboo into this tale, yet come to a satisfying conclusion with a dab of poetic justice, too.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lisa Jewell (born 1968) is a British author of popular fiction. Her books include Ralph’s Party (1999), Thirtynothing (2000), After The Party (2010), Then She Was Gone (2018), Watching You (2018), The Family Upstairs (2019), Invisible Girl (2020), None of This Is True (2023), and Don’t Let Him In (2025).

Early life and education[edit]

Lisa Jewell was born in the West End of London on 19 July 1968, to Anthony and Kay Jewell, then raised in Totteridge with her two younger sisters. She attended St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School in Finchley, North London.[1][non-primary source needed]

Jewell studied art and design at Barnet College, then attended the Epsom School of Art and Design, where she studied fashion illustration and promotion.[1][non-primary source needed]

Career[edit]

Jewell worked in fashion for several years, including at Thomas Pink. After being made redundant, Jewell took a creative writing course.[1][non-primary source needed] After a friend promised to buy her dinner if she wrote the first three chapters of a novel,[2][3] Jewell published her debut novel, Ralph’s Party, in 1999.[4] It became the UK’s bestselling debut novel of the year.[5]

In 2008, she was awarded the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance for her novel 31 Dream Street.[6] In 2024, Jewell won the British Book Awards for Crime & Thriller and Fiction Audiobook for None of This Is True,[7] which also won the TikTok Book Awards U.K. and Ireland for Book of the Year.[8]

In 2022, Jewell’s Invisible Girl was banned from high school libraries in the Wentzville School District after the district was sued,[9] though the ban was later overturned.[10]

Two of Jewell’s novels has been purchased for film production. In 2024, Netflix purchased the film rights to Jewell’s 2018 novel, Then She Was Gone,[11] as well as her 2023 novel, None of This Is True.[12] Then She Was Gone is being adapted by British actress Catherine Steadman and produced by Crystal City Entertainment and Moonshot Films.[11] None of This Is True is being adapted by Eleanor Burgess and produced by Something Happy Productions and Modern Magic, with Jewell serving as executive producer.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Jewell married her first husband, who Jewell claims was emotionally abusive, circa 1991; the couple divorced in 1996.[2][non-primary source needed]

As of 2007, Jewell lived in Swiss Cottage, London,[1][non-primary source needed] with her husband and two children.[13]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The night she disappeared DB105170

Author: Jewell, Lisa

Reading Time: 11 hours, 58 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Joanne Froggatt

Subjects: Psychological Fiction, Suspense Fiction

After leaving a party on a massive English country estate, a young couple goes missing. A year later, writer Sophie Beck moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods bordering that same estate. While wandering the wood, she stumbles on a potential clue to the missing couple. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

[New York] : Simon & Schuster Audio/Overdrive, 2021.

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Night Listener” by Armistead Maupin

“The Night Listener” by Armistead Maupin

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Ray Hagen did an excellent job of narrating this “circle” story. Maupin draws you into his tale, only to hoodwink and spit you out at the beginning.

   The NLS subject line should include lgbtq.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Armistead Jones Maupin Jr.[1][2][3] (/ˈmɔːpɪn/ MAW-pin; born May 13, 1944)[4][5] is an American writer notable for Tales of the City, a series of novels set in San Francisco.[6]

Early life[edit]

Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., to Diana Jane (Barton) and Armistead Jones Maupin.[1] His great-great-grandfather, Congressman Lawrence O’Bryan Branch, was from North Carolina and was a railroad executive and a Confederate general during the American Civil War.[7] His father, Armistead Jones Maupin, founded Maupin, Taylor & Ellis, one of the largest law firms in North Carolina.[8] Maupin was raised in Raleigh.[9]

Maupin attended Ravenscroft School and graduated from Needham Broughton High School in 1962.[10] He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he wrote for The Daily Tar Heel.[11]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The night listener :: a novel DB52746

Author: Maupin, Armistead

Reading Time: 9 hours, 54 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Ray Hagen

Subject: Psychological Fiction

Gabriel Noone suffers from writer’s block, struggling to create a script for his late-night radio program and trying to cope with the departure of his lover of ten years. The arrival of a book manuscript by a thirteen-year-old boy who has endured horrendous sexual abuse by his parents changes Gabriel’s life. Strong language. 2000.

New York : HarperCollins, c2000.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Stop The Presses” by Robert Goldsborough

“Stop The Presses” by Robert Goldsborough

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Peter Berkrot read this ‘Who dunnit” with his heavy British accent.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

robertgoldsborough.com

Robert Gerald Goldsborough (born October 3, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American journalist and writer of mystery novels. He worked for 45 years for the Chicago Tribune and Advertising Age, but gained prominence as the author of a series of 17 authorized pastiches of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe detective stories, published from 1986 to 1994 and from 2012 to 2023. The first novel, Murder in E Minor (1986), received a Nero Award.

In 2005, Goldsborough published Three Strikes You’re Dead, the first novel of a five book series of period mysteries featuring Chicago Tribune reporter Steve (Snap) Malek.

Biography[edit]

Robert Goldsborough was born October 3, 1937, in Chicago, the son of architect Robert Vincent Goldsborough and Wilma (Janak) Goldsborough. He grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois, and graduated from York Community High School before attending Northwestern University, where he earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree (1959, 1960) from the Medill School of Journalism.[1]

Journalism[edit]

After a year of reporting for the Associated Press, Goldsborough went to work for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter (1960–1963). From 1963 to 1966, he served as assistant editor of the newspaper’s Sunday magazine and TV Week, which he edited from 1966 to 1967. He was assistant to the features editor (1967–1971) and editor (1971–1972), and was named Sunday editor (1972–1975) and editor of the Sunday magazine (1975–1982). In 1982, he joined Advertising Age as editor and became the magazine’s special projects director in 1988.[1] He retired in December 2004.[2]

Nero Wolfe[edit]

Goldsborough gained national renown in the 1980s with the publication — approved by the estate of Rex Stout — of his Nero Wolfe mystery Murder in E Minor (1986). Written privately for his mother back in 1978, shortly after the death of Stout (creator of the Nero Wolfe mysteries), Goldsborough’s novel received a Nero Award. Fourteen other Nero Wolfe books by Goldsborough followed, including (2020).

“As the one who extended the life of Rex’s Stout’s famed private eye Nero Wolfe with seven novels in the 1980s and ’90s, I got both praise and derision — praise from readers who were glad to have more tales of Wolfe and his loyal right-hand, Archie Goodwin, and derision from those who either lamented that ‘you haven’t got it right’ or who felt fictional characters should be allowed to die with their creators,” Goldsborough wrote in 2011.[3]

Goldsborough resumed his Nero Wolfe series with Archie Meets Nero Wolfe (2012), a prequel to Stout’s novels, followed by Murder in the Ball Park (2014).

Snap Malek[edit]

In 2005, Goldsborough turned his attention to creating books with his own characters, beginning with Three Strikes You’re Dead, a mystery set in pre-war Chicago, featuring Steve (Snap) Malek, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. In February 2006, Three Strikes You’re Dead was named Best Historical Mystery at the eighth annual Love is Murder awards banquet.[citation needed] Terror at the Fair (2011), the fifth book in the Snap Malek series, received the Lovey Award in 2012.[4]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Stop the presses! DB131474

Series: Nero Wolfe (Goldsborough)

Order in Series: 11

Author: Goldsborough, Robert

Reading Time: 6 hours, 32 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Peter Berkrot

Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Historical Fiction

“There are few people Nero Wolfe respects, and Lon Cohen of the New York Gazette is one of them. So when Cohen asks for a favor, Wolfe is inclined to listen. According to Cohen, someone wants to kill the Gazette’s gossip columnist, Cameron Clay. Death threats are a regular hazard for Clay, who has hurled insults and accusations at every bold-faced name in the five boroughs. But the latest threats have carried a more sinister tone. The columnist has narrowed his potential killers down to five people. When Clay turns up dead, the cops deem it a suicide. The bigwigs at the Gazette don’t agree, so they retain Wolfe to figure out which of the suspects had the mettle to pull the trigger.” — From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Holland, OH : Dreamscape Media, 2016.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Home to Hickory Hollow: The Guardian (03); The Secret keeper (04)” byBeverly Lewis

“Home to Hickory Hollow: The Guardian (03); The Secret keeper (04)” byBeverly Lewis

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Kristin Allison did a good job of narrating these religious stories…for sure and for certain.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.

Beverly Marie Lewis (née Jones) is an American Christian fiction novelist and adult and children’s author of over 100 books.

Lewis is a former schoolteacher and musician. She started playing the piano at age four, and began writing short stories and poetry when she was nine years old.

Much of her writing focuses on the Old Order Amish. Her maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, was born into an Old Order Mennonite Church, which interested Lewis in her own “plain heritage.” Her father was a pastor in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch community), where she was born and grew up. She was raised and continues to be part of the Assemblies of God community.

She went to Evangel University, and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003. She is also a member of the National League of American Pen Women.[1]

Lewis is married to David Lewis, and they have three grown children and three grandchildren. They live in Colorado.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Home to Hickory Hollow: The Guardian ; The Secret keeper DB77824

Series: Home to Hickory Hollow

Order in Series: 3, 4

Author: Lewis, Beverly

Reading Time: 16 hours, 58 minutes

Production: National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Read by: Kristin Allison

Subject: Religious Fiction

Two novels set in Hickory Hollow, an Amish community in Pennsylvania. In The Guardian Englischer Jodi Winfield finds a little girl who speaks no English and takes the child to Hickory Hollow. In The Secret Keeper Jenny Burns joins the Amish community and struggles to fit in. 2013.

Minneapolis, Minnesota : Bethany House, 2013.Minneapolis, Minnesota : Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, [2013]

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