Skip to main content

Featured

The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver #Review #TheDetectionClubBook1

    Today we have the first in a new historical cozy crime series, The Detection Club. The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver   is published today by Boldwood Books .   Agatha Christie is about to embark on a new, gripping murder case. But this time, she’s not the author – she’s a suspect… 1926 – Christie is a darling of the literary circuit and the most desired guest in London’s glittering social scene. She can often be found at meetings of the Detection Club – where mystery writers come together to share ideas, swap secrets and drink copiously. But then a fellow author's initiation ceremony takes a gruesome turn, and one of the group ends up dead. Now, Agatha is no longer just the creator of great mystery plots – she’s a player in one. And when Agatha disappears the day after the murder, she’s widely assumed to be guilty. Only Eliza Baker, assistant to the Club’s enigmatic secretary, Dorothy Sayers, is interested in investigating the case. But i...

The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen by Ray Smith #Review


I am delighted to review Ray Smith's The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen, a romance which takes you back in time to 1961 to Mississippi and the Civil Rights Movement. 


“You’ve seen the woman in the photo. The woman screaming . . .”
 
So begins the story of Molly Valle, who at forty-eight thinks she knows all that life has to offer a single, middle-aged woman - namely, men’s dismissal and disrespect. But when handsome activist John Pressman arrives in her Mississippi hometown, he challenges her self-doubt along with nearly everything else in her world. Soon, Molly discovers a strength and beauty she never knew she had—and a love so powerful, it can overcome the most tragic of consequences.



The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen is a love story, an adventure novel, and a self-realization journey. It reignites the truth that many women—and men—have unconsciously extinguished: you are special and worthy of love, and it’s never too late to make your dreams come true.

My Thoughts

Set in the middle of the Civil Rights unrest in the USA, you follow the story of Molly and John, both aged in their forties, with past experiences and relationships. They feel that their meeting signals an amazing moment in their lives and a new awakening. You get to see their story through both their eyes at times, but for the main, it is narrated by Molly, as an old woman, looking back. Slowly you realise that she may be an unreliable narrator which adds to the interest. At the centre of the story is the message that you need to look below the surface and appreciate what is before your eyes. Wishing for a different life experience means you miss so much. 

    The backdrop of the 1960's can seem shocking to the modern eye, with the bigotry and racial prejudice starkly drawn. Molly proves herself to be an original and brave thinker who steps forward to combat the oppression she can see happening before her. Although the book is describeda as a romance, there are layers to be uncovered. Social and political issues, facing up to change and learning to trust are all there. There is also the lesson that within your own sphere, you can have a fulfilling life without appearing to change the world. Being settled in your own skin and accepting yourself is the path to happiness.

In short: A well written story which blends the spirit of an age with the personal.  

 
About the Author 


Ray Smith lives in Los Angeles and is working on another book.
Love the novel, hate the novel, please drop him a line! He can be contacted at:www.themagnoliathatbloomedunseen.com

Or follow him on: FacebookTwitter

Thanks to Ray for a copy of the book. 

Comments