Book Review - The Letter by Kathryn Hughes by L. A. Keller

-


The Letter is not a cozy but does have a small element of mystery. There are some spoilers but I will try to keep them to a minimum. This is the first book I have read by this author. Unrelated to the book I have to voice a compliant regarding the advertising on Amazon for the title.  This book is displayed as, "The Letter - the No 1 Ebook Bestseller".  Whether it's a great marketing strategy or false advertising I cannot say but I don't want commentary in the title.

We meet Tina Craig in the current day gardening with her grandchild.  The book uses the short introduction as an excuse to send the reader back to 1973 when Tina is married to Rick. She lives in fear of what might set him off - unfounded jealousy, losing his job, losing his money on bets that never pay off.  Domestic abuse, alcoholism and gambling addiction set the stage for her story. Any one of these problems might have been enough for the story but frequently they occur simultaneously in real life.

Her life is difficult and money is tight but Tina finds solace in her job at a second hand store and with the unlikely friendship she has developed with Rick's bookie, Graham.  One day she happens across a letter in the pocket of a donated men's jacket. The letter was written to the man's sweetheart but never mailed.  Tina becomes obsessed with delivering it to the recipient. Thus begins the story of Chrissie and the child she gave up for adoption.

The author switches between Tina's story and Chrissie's. Both women had struggles in their lives and we want to know that it worked out okay for them. There are some areas which are predictable but overall it was a good book - not great but readable.  Did it rate a number one status on Amazon in eBooks?  I would say no.

The Letter

Happy Trails,

Leslie


Twitter     Instagram     Facebook     Menu for Murder     Cocktails at Sunset

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Does the Wine Glass Matter by L. A. Keller

-
Image
As part of my restaurant series, this post is about the vessel you use to consume your juice - the fermented grape juice variety. Personally, I love a beautiful glass from which to drink wine. The more shapely and delicate the more I enjoy the wine - not because it always makes the wine dramatically  better but it adds to the pleasure of the act.  I also tend to break them routinely so I go through lots of different glassware. The first question you may ask is whether to have stemware or stemless (also known as a tumbler).  There was a trend a few years ago to move away from glasses with stems.  I agree that the stemless version is sturdier all around. You are less likely to knock the glass over and unable to snap off the stem when washing. These are easy to load in the dishwasher, but not always advisable for any wine glass depending on the quality of the glass. However, the biggest issue with stemless glasses is that you are holding the glass, and thus the wine, in your hand.
Read more

I Don't Believe in Happily Ever After by L. A. Keller

-
I've been so busy writing Reunion in the Desert and trying to finish the third book in the Jayne Stanford series that I left this short story hanging. I'm including part Nine with the new installment as a brief review.  You can read the entire series in my blog posts or email me for one complete copy.  Part 9 “I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks.” Clare kicked off her running shoes at the back door of her grandmother, Mae’s house. She winced when she thought about how much she spent on them but the fabric absorbed manure like a sponge and there was no way they would ever come clean. She figured she may as well throw them out, along with all her plans for this weekend. Hours of chores around the farm had worn her down more than all day client meetings. Mae hummed a tune as she prepared their lunch. Clare knew she had been guilt tripped in
Read more

Jayne's Restaurant Review - Fabio on Fire by L. A. Keller

-
Image
I was meeting friends for dinner and wanted to select a place I've never been.  My friend suggested Fabio on Fire in Peoria, Arizona. When I viewed the website, I thought it looked like a casual pizza joint. I was partially right in that it was small and casual but I was wrong about it being just a pizza place. I am officially obsessed!   Located in a small strip shopping area the outside may not impress you but the food definitely will. I dined right before they closed for Labor Day weekend to expand to a larger space in the same location. I can't wait to return to see the changes and to sample more of the amazing food.   There were six adults and a child for dinner. We started with the Caprese and Charcuterie with prosciutto and delicious cheeses. I could have dined exclusively on these starters but we moved on to the lamb chop special, butternut squash ravioli, gnocchi and short rib ravioli.  Each dish was presented well and impeccably prepared. I've hear
Read more