Kate’s 2¢: “Deep water: the world in the ocean” by James Bradley

“Deep water: the world in the ocean” by James Bradley

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…

   Stephen James King Did a good job of narrating this book. It was one of seven books sent to me by NLS on one cartridge.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Bradley (born May 4, 1954) is an American author from Antigo, Wisconsin,[1] specializing in historical nonfiction chronicling the Pacific theatre of World War II. His father, John Bradley, was involved in the first raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.[2]

Biography[edit]

James Bradley was raised in Wisconsin and earned a degree in East Asian History from the University of Wisconsin.[3]

In 2000, Bradley published Flags of Our Fathers, written with the author Ron Powers, which tells the story of five US Marines and a US Navy corpsman attached to the Marines Corps (his father, John Bradley, who did not raise the second, larger flag), raising the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Seventh War Loan Drive after the battle. In that book, which spent 46 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was made into a film directed by Clint Eastwood, Bradley took great care to locate and speak with family and friends who actually knew the men depicted. In doing so, he received praise for his realistic portrayals and bringing the men involved to life.

The book and the film are in-depth looks at those involved and their war-time service. Of the six men who raised the second and larger replacement flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, PhM2c. John Bradley, although he had been involved in only the first raising of a smaller flag hours before, was not involved in the second flag raising,[2] Pfc. Ira Hayes, and Pfc. Rene Gagnon were the only survivors of the battle. Sgt. Michael Strank, Cpl. Harlon Block, and Pfc. Franklin Sousley were killed in action later on in the battle. The book and film tell the story in a before, during, and after format, and both were well received upon their release. An impromptu speech Bradley, who did not raise the flag, gave at the Marine Corps War Memorial (sometimes called the Iwo Jima memorial) was transcribed by Michael T. Powers in October 2000, and widely circulated on the Internet.[4] On June 23, 2016, the United States Marine Corps identified Cpl. Harold Schultz as the sixth flag raiser for the second flag.[2]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Deep water: the world in the ocean DB122858

Bradley, James Reading time: 14 hours, 13 minutes.

Stephen James King

Animals and Wildlife

Nature and the Environment

“In this thrilling work–a blend of history, science, nature writing, and environmentalism–acclaimed writer James Bradley plunges into the unknown to explore the deepest recesses of the natural world.Seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface is ocean. These waters created, shaped, and continue to sustain not just human life, but all life on Planet Earth, and perhaps beyond it. They serve as the stage for our cultural history–driving human development from evolution through exploration, colonialism, and the modern era of global leisure and trade. They are also the harbingers of the future–much of life on Earth cannot survive if sea levels are too low or too high, temperatures too cold or too warm. Our oceans are vast spaces of immense wonder and beauty, and our relationship to them is innate and awe inspired.Deep Water is both a lyrically written personal meditation and an intriguing wide-ranging reported epic that reckons with our complex connection to the seas. It is a story shaped by tidal movements and deep currents, lit by the insights of philosophers, scientists, artists and other great minds. Bradley takes readers from the atomic creation of the oceans, to the wonders within, such as fish migrations guided by electromagnetic sensing. He describes the impacts of human population shifts by boat and speaks directly and uncompromisingly to the environmental catastrophe that is already impacting our lives. It is also a celebration of the ocean’s glories and the extraordinary efforts of the scientists and researchers who are unlocking its secrets. These myriad strands are woven together into a tapestry of life that captures not only our relationship with the planet, but our past, and perhaps most importantly, what lies ahead for us.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Kate’s 2¢: “Junk science and the American criminal justice system” by M. Chris Fabricant

“Junk science and the American criminal justice system” by M. Chris Fabricant

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…

   Chris Henry Coffey Did a good job of reading this book. It was one of seven books sent to me by NLS on one cartridge.

   We’re only human and use the most modern tools at our disposal at the time. Yet, it is amazing and frightening to look back at our history of errors.

From the WEB:

Chris Fabricant is a criminal defense attorney in New York City. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Tonya, and their two children, Oscar and Francesca.

Chris is one of the United States’s leading experts on forensic sciences and scientific litigation. Prior to joining the Innocence Project, he was a longtime …

A former public defender and clinical law professor, Fabricant brings to his writing over two decades of experience.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Junk science and the American criminal justice system DB122870

Fabricant, M. Chris Reading time: 10 hours, 53 minutes.

Chris Henry Coffey

Science and Technology

True Crime

Social Sciences

“From CSI to Forensic Files to the celebrated reputation of the FBI crime lab, forensic scientists have long been mythologized in American popular culture as infallible crime solvers. Juries put their faith in “expert witnesses” and innocent people have been executed as a result. Innocent people are still on death row today, condemned by junk science. In 2012, the Innocence Project began searching for prisoners convicted by junk science, and three men, each convicted of capital murder, became M. Chris Fabricant’s clients. Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System chronicles the fights to overturn their wrongful convictions and to end the use of the “science” that destroyed their lives. Weaving together courtroom battles from Mississippi to Texas to New York City and beyond, Fabricant takes the reader on a journey into the heart of a broken, racist system of justice and the role forensic science plays in maintaining the status quo. At turns gripping, enraging, illuminating, and moving, Junk Science is a meticulously researched insider’s perspective of the American criminal justice system. Previously untold stories of wrongful executions, corrupt prosecutors, and quackery masquerading as science animate Fabricant’s true crime narrative.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Kate’s 2¢: “The man in the corduroy suit” by   James Wolff

“The man in the corduroy suit” by   James Wolff

 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…

   Guy Mott Did a good job narrating this book. It was one of seven books sent to me by NLS on one cartridge.

   I enjoyed the intrigue of it all…and I liked the ending.

From the WEB:

James Wolff is a former British intelligence officer. His first novel, Beside the Syrian Sea, was a Times Crime Book of the Month and an Evening Standard Book …

Wolff grew up in the Middle East and now lives in London. After working as a British intelligence officer for over ten years, he left government .

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The man in the corduroy suit DB122872

Wolff, James Reading time: 8 hours, 6 minutes.

Guy Mott

Suspense Fiction

Spy Stories

“British intelligence is in a state of panic. Cracks are appearing, or so a run of disciplinary cases would suggest. To cap it all, a retired MI5 officer collapses, the victim of what looks like a Russian poisoning. Leonard Flood is ordered to investigate–and quickly. Notorious for his sharp elbows and blunt manner, Leonard’s only objective is to get the job done, whatever the cost. But when the trail leads him from the suburbs of London to a remote country hotel, he makes a startling discovery that will change his life forever.”–Back cover. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Kate’s 2¢: “Stories I Told My Dead Lover” by Jo Paquette  

“Stories I Told My Dead Lover” by Jo Paquette  

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…

   The multiple readers did a good job of reading this collection of short stories. I didn’t find any of them resonated with me, though.

From the WEB:

Jo Paquette   author from jopaquette.com

Eight searing tales of psychological horror which probe the darkest and most deeply buried parts of the human psyche.

NLS/BARD/LOC:

Stories I told my dead lover DB122775

Paquette, Jo Reading time: 4 hours, 46 minutes.

Emily Woo Zeller; Vikas Adam; Joe Hempel; Gabra Zackman; Jenn Lee; Sophie Amoss; Jo Paquette; Soneela Nankani

Short Stories

Supernatural and Horror Fiction

Psychological Fiction

“A child is forced to grow up too soon. A woman trusts her doctor too much. An abandoned woman isn’t as alone as she thinks. An idyllic holiday masks an unspeakable act of violence. Driven, desperate, fighting for the power to choose their own fate, Paquette’s characters dare to push back at the walls that hold them in. Come watch them burn.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Stories I told my dead lover DB122775

Kate’s 2¢: “Hell’s Aquarium” by Steve Alten

“Hell’s Aquarium” by Steve Alten

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…

   Keith Szarabajka did a great job of narrating this gripping story in the “Meg” series. It is not your ‘run-of-the-mill’ underwater adventure. It is a real page turner, once you start you won’t be able to put it down.

   I think the girl got what she deserved in the end, but David didn’t.

Steve Alten is a best-selling American author known for his thriller novels, particularly the Meg series. He is also the founder and director of Adopt-An-Author, a program aimed at encouraging reluctant readers. 

Steven Robert Alten (born August 21, 1959) is an American science-fiction author. He is best known for his Meg series of novels set around the fictitious survival of the megalodon, a giant, prehistoric shark.

Biography[edit]

Alten holds a bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in sports medicine from the University of Delaware, and a doctorate in sports administration from Temple University.[1] Alten is the founder and director of Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide secondary-school free-reading program promoting works from six authors, including his own.[2]

NLS/BARD/LOC:

Hell’s aquarium DB121262

Alten, Steve Reading time: 12 hours, 44 minutes.

Keith Szarabajka

Science and Technology

Suspense Fiction

Supernatural and Horror Fiction

“David Taylor, the twenty-one-year-old son of Jonas Taylor, agrees to escort two of Angel’s litter to Dubai, where a royal prince is building the largest aquarium in the world, unaware that he is being set up to lead an expedition into the dangerous Panthalassa ocean hidden beneath the Philippine Sea Plate.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Hell’s aquarium DB121262

Kate’s 2¢: “Shakespeare: the man who pays the rent” by Judi Dench

“Shakespeare: the man who pays the rent” by Judi Dench

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…

   I think Barbara Flynn and Brendan O’Hea Were narrating this book as if they were conversations with actor/director Brendan O’Hea and Dame Judi Dench.

   I enjoyed hearing about the variety of roles and some of the inside happenings.

From the WEB:

Judi Dench is a highly acclaimed British actress, known for her work in film, theater, and television. She is also an author, having co-authored a book titled “Judi Dench: Scenes from My Life” with John Miller. Dench has received numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Shakespeare in Love”. 

Dame Judi Dench was born Judith Olivia Dench in York, England, to Eleanora Olive (Jones), who was from Dublin, Ireland, and Reginald Arthur Dench, a doctor from Dorset, England. She attended Mount School in York, and studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain’s greatest actors,[1][2][3] she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage.[4] Dench has garnered various accolades throughout a career that spans seven decades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, and seven Olivier Awards.

Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she performed in several of Shakespeare’s plays, in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Although most of Dench’s work during this period was in theatre, she also branched out into film work and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer. In 1968, she drew excellent reviews for her leading role of Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. Over the next two decades Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Dench received critical acclaim for her work on television during this period, including her starring roles in the two romantic comedy series A Fine Romance (1981–1984, ITV) and As Time Goes By (1992–2005, BBC1). Her film appearances were infrequent – though included supporting roles in major films, such as James Ivory’s A Room with a View (1985) – before she rose to international fame as M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she went on to play in eight James Bond films until her final cameo appearance in Spectre (2015).

An eight-time Academy Award nominee, Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998). Her other Oscar-nominated roles are for Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Philomena (2013), and Belfast (2021). She is also the recipient of several honorary awards, including the BAFTA Fellowship Award, the Society of London Theatre Special Award, and the British Film Institute Fellowship Award.

Early life, ancestry, and education[edit]

Dench was born in the Heworth area of York on 9 December 1934,[5][6] the daughter of an English father and an Irish mother. Her father, Reginald Arthur Dench MC & Bar (1897–1964), was a doctor from Dorset who grew up primarily in Dublin and who fought on the Western Front in the First World War.[7][8] Her mother, Eleanora Olive (née Jones; 1897–1983), was born in Dublin, and her parents met while studying at Trinity College Dublin.[9][10]

In October 2021, Dench was the subject of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?, where it was revealed that she is descended from the Bille family of Danish aristocrats, and Steen Andersen Bille (1624–1698), the illegitimate son of Anders Steensen Bille [da] (1578–1633),[11] as well as Claus Bille (1490–1558), a grandfather of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601). She is a cousin of Greek-Australian actors Rebekah Elmaloglou and Sebastian Elmaloglou.[12] Her niece, Emma Dench, is an historian of ancient Rome.[13]

Dench attended the Mount School, a Quaker independent secondary school in York, and became a Quaker.[14][15] She had two elder brothers named Peter Dench (Doctor) (1925–2017) and Jeffery (1928–2014), the latter of whom also became an actor.[14][15]

Through her parents, Dench had regular contact with the theatre: her father was the GP for York Theatre Royal, and her mother was its wardrobe mistress.[16] Actors often stayed in the Dench household. During these years, Judi Dench was involved on a non-professional basis in the first three productions of the modern revival of the York Mystery Plays in 1951, 1954 and 1957.[17] In the third production she played the role of the Virgin Mary, performed on a fixed stage in the Museum Gardens.[18]

Though she initially trained as a set designer, Dench became interested in drama school as her brother Jeff attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.[16] She was also inspired by seeing Peggy Ashcroft play Cleopatra on stage, which she later said “changed my life”.[19] She applied and was accepted by the Central School,[20] then based at the Royal Albert Hall, London, where she was a classmate of Vanessa Redgrave, graduating and being awarded four acting prizes, including the Gold Medal as Outstanding Student.[16]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Shakespeare: the man who pays the rent DB121151

Dench, Judi Reading time: 12 hours, 8 minutes.

Barbara Flynn; Brendan O’Hea

Stage and Screen

Drama

Biography of Writers

“Britain’s greatest Shakespearean actor reveals her secrets in a series of intimate conversations. Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig; cavorting naked through the countryside painted green; acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head, these are just a few things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare. In this book, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career. In a series of conversations with actor/director Brendan O’Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare’s plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets behind her rehearsal process and vignettes of her creative partnerships, all told with her mischievous sense of humour and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Shakespeare: the man who pays the rent DB121151

Kate’s 2¢: “The spy coast: a thriller” by Tess Gerritsen

“The spy coast: a thriller” by Tess Gerritsen

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…

    Libby McKnight did a great job of narrating this story. I loved the Martini Club! Their skills might have been a bit rusty, but it all came back to them when they needed to come up with the right answers.

   A few take-aways:

…The old days we’d talk about. The days when we still believed we could change the world.

…Retired does not mean useless.

Even in the face of terrible realities, humans are resilient.

Someone is always waiting to take your place.

…We served our country fighting on the covert battlefields  of the world.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

tessgerritsen.com

Tess Gerritsen (born Terry Tom; June 12, 1953[1]) is the pseudonym of Terry Gerritsen,[2] an American novelist and retired general physician.[3]

Early life[edit]

Tess Gerritsen is the child of a Chinese immigrant and a Chinese-American seafood chef. While growing up in San Diego, California, Gerritsen often dreamt of writing her own Nancy Drew novels.[4] Her first name is Terry; she decided to feminize it when she was a writer of romance novels.[2] Although she longed to be a writer, her family had reservations about the sustainability of a writing career, prompting Gerritsen to choose a career in medicine.[5] In 1975, Gerritsen graduated from Stanford University with a BA in anthropology, intrigued by the ranges of human behavior.[6] She went on to study medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.[5] She received her medical degree in 1979 and started work as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii.[7][8]

While on maternity leave, she submitted a short story to a statewide fiction contest in the magazine Honolulu. Her story, “On Choosing the Right Crack Seed”, won first prize and she received $500.[7][9] The story focused on a young male reflecting on a difficult relationship with his mother. Gerritsen claimed the story allowed her to deal with her own childhood turmoil, including the repeated suicide attempts of her mother.[7]

Writing career[edit]

Inspired by the romance novels she enjoyed reading while working as a doctor, Gerritsen’s first novels were romantic thrillers.[7] After two unpublished “practice novels”, Call After Midnight was bought by publisher Harlequin Intrigue in 1986 and published a year later.[10] Gerritsen subsequently wrote eight romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue and Harper Paperbacks.[7]

Other genres[edit] In 1996, Gerritsen wrote Harvest, her first medical thriller.[10] The plot was inspired by a conversation with a retired homicide detective who had recently traveled in Russia. He told her young orphans were vanishing from Moscow streets, and police believed the kidnapped children were being shipped abroad as organ donors.[11] Harvest was Gerritsen’s first hardcover novel, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number thirteen.[12] Following Harvest, Gerritsen wrote three more bestselling medical thrillers: Life Support,[13] Bloodstream,[14] and Gravity.[15]

In 2001, Gerritsen’s first crime thriller, The Surgeon, was published and introduced homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. Although a secondary character in The Surgeon, Rizzoli has been a central focus of 13 subsequent novels (see below) pairing her with medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles.[16] The books inspired the Rizzoli & Isles television series starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.[17] Gerritsen also made an appearance in the series’ final season as a writer who helps Isles establish herself in the literary field.[18]

Although most of her recent books have been in the Rizzoli/Isles series, in 2007 Gerritsen wrote a stand-alone historical thriller titled The Bone Garden. A tale of gruesome murders, the book is set primarily in 1830s Boston and includes a character based on Oliver Wendell Holmes.[19][20]

Gerritsen’s books have been published in 40 countries and have sold 25 million copies.[16]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The spy coast: a thriller DB124418

Gerritsen, Tess. Reading time: 10 hours, 42 minutes.

Read by Libby McKnight.

Suspense Fiction

Spy Stories

“Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement. But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends–all retirees from the CIA–to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives. Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information–and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn. As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends–and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau–Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built” — Amazon.com Violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex.

Downloaded: March 27, 2025

Download The spy coast: a thriller

Kate’s 2¢: “A shilling for candles” by Josephine Tey

“A shilling for candles” by Josephine Tey

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…

  I enjoyed listening to Jennifer M. Dixon

 Narrate this story.

Josephine Tey was the pen name of Elizabeth MacKintosh (1896-1952), a Scottish author best known for her Golden Age of Crime Fiction. She also wrote under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot, primarily for plays, and was a successful novelist and playwright. Her novels, often featuring Inspector Alan Grant, were praised for their warm and readable style. 

From Wikipedia:

Elizabeth MacKintosh (25 July 1896 – 13 February 1952), known by the pen name Josephine Tey, was a Scottish author. Her 1951 novel The Daughter of Time, a detective work investigating the death of the Princes in the Tower, was chosen by the Crime Writers’ Association in 1990 as the greatest crime novel of all time.[1] Her first play Richard of Bordeaux, written under another pseudonym, Gordon Daviot, starred John Gielgud in its successful West End run.

Life and work[edit]

MacKintosh was born in Inverness, the oldest of three daughters of Colin MacKintosh, a fruiterer, and Josephine (née Horne). She attended Inverness Royal Academy and then, in 1914, Anstey Physical Training College in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham.[2] She taught physical training at various schools in England and Scotland and during her vacations worked at a convalescent home in Inverness as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse. A youthful romance ended with her soldier friend’s death in the Somme battles.[3] In 1923, she returned to Inverness permanently to care for her invalid mother, and stayed after her mother’s death that year to keep house for her father.[4]

The curriculum for “physical training” included much more than athletics. Tey used her school experience in Miss Pym Disposes when describing the subjects taught at the school, and the types of bruises and other injuries sustained by the pupils. When she graduated, Tey worked in a physiotherapy clinic in Leeds, then taught in schools, first in Nottinghamshire, then in Oban, where she was injured when a boom in the gymnasium fell on her face. Tey repurposed this incident as a method of murder in Miss Pym Disposes.

While caring for her father she began her career as a writer.[5] Her first published work was in The Westminster Gazette in 1925, under the name Gordon Daviot. She continued publishing verse and short stories in The Westminster Review, The Glasgow Herald and the Literary Review.

Her first novel, Kif: An Unvarnished History, was well received at the time with good reviews, a sale to America, and a mention in The Observer’s list of Books of the Week. This work, inspired by a detachment of the 4th Cameron Highlanders, a Scottish Territorial battalion stationed at Inverness before the First World War and prominent in the city’s affairs, was an early indication of Tey’s lasting interest in military matters.[6] Three months later, her first mystery novel, The Man in the Queue, was published by Benn, Methuen. It was awarded the Dutton Mystery Prize when published in America. This is the first appearance of her detective, Inspector Alan Grant. It would be some years before she wrote another mystery.

MacKintosh’s real ambition had been to write a play which would receive a run in London’s West End. Her play about King Richard II, Richard of Bordeaux, was produced in 1932 at the Arts Theatre, under the Daviot pseudonym. Its success was such that it transferred to the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) in 1933, for a year-long run.[2] The production made a household name of its young leading man and director, John Gielgud (who became MacKintosh’s life-long friend).[7] (Tey writes of Inspector Alan Grant that “he had in his youth seen Richard of Bordeaux; four times he had seen it”.)[8] She stated she was inspired by Gielgud’s performance in Hamlet and by the Royal Tournament.[9] Two more of her plays were produced at the New Theatre, The Laughing Woman (1934) and Queen of Scots (1934, written in collaboration with Gielgud).[7]

She wrote about a dozen one-act plays and another dozen full-length plays, many with biblical or historical themes, under the name of Gordon Daviot but none of these received notable success.[2] How she chose the name of Gordon is unknown, but Daviot was the name of a scenic locale near Inverness where she had spent many happy holidays with her family.[5] Only four of her plays were produced during her lifetime.

Her only non-fiction book, Claverhouse, was written as a vindication of John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee (1648-1689), whom she regarded as a libelled hero: “It is strange that a man whose life was so simple in pattern and so forthright in spirit should have become a peg for every legend, bloody or brave, that belonged to his time.”

MacKintosh’s best-known books were written under the name of Josephine Tey, which was the name of her Suffolk great-great grandmother.

In five of the mystery novels, all of which except the first she wrote under the name of Tey, the hero is Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant. (Grant appears in a sixth, The Franchise Affair, as a minor character.) The best known of these is The Daughter of Time, in which Grant, laid up in hospital, has friends research reference books and contemporary documents so that he can puzzle out the mystery of whether King Richard III of England murdered his nephews, the Princes in the Tower.

The Franchise Affair also has an historical context: although set in the 1940s, it is based on the 18th-century case of Elizabeth Canning. The Daughter of Time was the last of Tey’s books published during her lifetime. Her last work, a further crime novel, The Singing Sands, was found in her papers and published posthumously.

Death[edit]

Tey was intensely private, shunning all publicity throughout her life.[10] During her last year, when she knew that she was terminally ill, she resolutely avoided all her friends as well. Her ultimate work, The Privateer (1952), was a romantic novel based on the life of the privateer Henry Morgan. She died of liver cancer at her sister Mary’s home in London on 13 February 1952.[10] Most of her friends, including Gielgud, were unaware that she was even ill.[11] Her obituary in The Times appeared under her real name: “Miss E. Mackintosh Author of ‘Richard of Bordeaux'”.[2]

Proceeds from Tey’s estate, including royalties from her books, were assigned to the National Trust.[10]

Reception and legacy[edit]

In 1990, The Daughter of Time was selected by the Crime Writers’ Association as the greatest crime novel of all time; The Franchise Affair was 11th on the same list of 100 books.[1]

In 2015, Val McDermid argued that Tey “cracked open the door” for later writers such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell to explore the darker side of humanity, creating a bridge between the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and contemporary crime novels, because “Tey opened up the possibility of unconventional secrets. Homosexual desire, cross-dressing, sexual perversion – they were all hinted at, glimpsed in the shadows as a door closed or a curtain twitched. Tey was never vulgar nor titillating…. Nevertheless, her world revealed a different set of psychological motivations.”[12] In 2019, Evie Jeffrey discussed Tey’s engagement with capital punishment debates in A Shilling for Candles and To Love and Be Wise.[13]

NLS/BARD/LOC:

A shilling for candles DB122939

Tey, Josephine Reading time: 7 hours, 50 minutes.

Jennifer M. Dixon

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

“When a woman’s body washes up on an isolated stretch of beach on the southern coast of England, Scotland Yard’s Inspector Alan Grant is on the case. But the inquiry into her death turns into a nightmare of false leads and baffling clues. Was there anyone who didn’t want lovely screen actress Christine Clay dead?”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download A shilling for candles DB122939

Kate’s 2¢: “Bad hombres” by William W. Johnstone

“Bad hombres” by William W. Johnstone

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…

   John McLain Did a good job of narrating this story. There were certainly a lot of blood and guts, but it all turned out okay. Except that I would have preferred the children return with our good bad hombre.

   I keep a tally of the books I read. I didn’t realize how many of Johnstone’s books I’ve read and enjoyed.

From CoPilot:

William Wallace Johnstone (1938-2004) was an American author known for his prolific writing in various genres, including westerns, horror, and suspense. He began writing in 1970, and his work gained recognition as a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Johnstone’s writing spanned over 200 books, with series like “Mountain Man” and “The First Mountain Man” being popular. 

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Bad hombres DB122691

Johnstone, William W Reading time: 10 hours, 39 minutes.

John McLain

Historical Fiction

Adventure

Western Stories

“He blew into town like a tornado–a mysterious stranger with money to burn and a sadistic streak as wide as the Rio Grande. He says his name is Benson and he’s come to invest in the town’s future. First, he showers the banks and local businesses with cash. Then, he hires a pair of drunks to fight and get arrested so he can check out the local lawmen. After that, he warms up to a lady of the evening–with deadly results. That’s just the beginning. By the time Slash and Pecos return to town after a quick-and-dirty cargo run, Benson has enlisted half the outlaws in the territory for his own private army. The local lawmen are quickly slaughtered and the US marshals are no match. With looters amok and killers festering on every corner, a person would have to be stupid or crazy to try to take the town back … Luckily, Slash and Pecos are a little of both. They’ve been around long enough to see the worst in men–and they know that the best way to stop a very bad hombre … is to be even badder”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Bad hombres DB122691

Kate’s 2¢: “Not Another Love Song” by Julie Soto

“Not Another Love Song” by Julie Soto

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…

   Savannah Peachwood  and Oliver Clarke did a wonderful job of narrating this awesome love story about two musicians. I was particularly moved by the scene where he sits behind her on the same chair  to bow with her.  She actually feels the music for the first time. Very moving. Very well crafted…and I even liked the ending.

From the WEB:

Julie Soto is a USA Today bestselling novelist, actress, and playwright who is best known for her romance fiction works. Originally from Sacramento in California

 Julie spent many years bouncing between New York and California before eventually settling in coastal Fort Bragg, CA. A theatre and fandom nerd.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Not another love song DB122925

Soto, Julie Reading time: 9 hours, 51 minutes.

Savannah Peachwood; Oliver Clarke

Music Appreciation and History

Romance

“Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance. Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner. After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is – despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance. When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download Not another love song DB122925