The Midwife's Tale

 Title: The Midwife’s Tale

Author: Sam Thomas

What’s it about?

Bridget Hodgson is a widowed midwife in 1600’s York. In between guiding new life into the world and surviving a siege on her city, Bridget finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. With the help of her servant Martha Bridget hunts down clues and questions the people of York to try and find a murder.

Did I like it?

This novel is the first of a series called the Midwife Mysteries. I’ve been looking for a new series to get into and after reading the summary I figured I would give it a go. The book was a quick read for me and I enjoyed it. Did I love it? No. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t enjoy it enough to keep going with the series. My two main issues are I didn’t like the resolution of the mystery and I didn’t care for Bridget. Without delving into spoiler territory I’ll just say the resolution ended up using a trope I don’t care for and tacked on a bit more that I felt was done just for shock value. 

As for Bridget, she started out alright but by the end of the story, she seemed to be dipping her toes in best at everything water. I think I would have liked it better if the story was focused on Martha instead of Bridget. Bridget is a high-class woman and Martha is a servant. I think Martha would have made for a more engaging main character. At least, I think she would have for me. 

Who would I recommend it to?

If you are someone that enjoys historical fiction, especially in the time and place this is set in, there is a good chance you’d enjoy this. There were quite a few words that I didn’t know the meanings of so I had to look them up. I enjoy learning something and found that to be fun. It wasn’t enough to make following the story impossible, it was more like a little bonus for those that enjoy that sort of thing. 

I think it could be a good book for a book group depending on the tastes of the group. 

If you enjoy mainstream mystery stories and don’t mind the historical fiction aspect I think it would be worth trying. It reminds me of the Stephanie Plum mysteries in a way. Both have a strong female lead with memorable side characters. There wasn’t a romantic interest in this book but there could be in a future one. Just going off the first book I’d say it is more about female friendship than romantic relationships.

Did I purchase it?

No, I borrowed this from my library.

Rating

3.5/5

Not A Happy Family

Title: Not A Happy Family

Author: Shari Lapena

What’s it about?

When a wealthy couple ends up murdered everyone wants to know why and who did it. Suspicion falls on their three adult children, each one in line to receive a large inheritance. The story follows all the different family members and the police as each one tries to figure out who the culprit is. 

Did I like it?

This was my first Shari Lapena novel and I am kicking myself for not reading her books earlier. I enjoyed following all the characters and clues and trying to solve the murder. I found the ending to be very satisfying which is where, imo, mystery authors tend to fail. Lapena did not disappoint and I will be heading to the library to pick up another of her books. 

Who would I recommend it to?

I found this book to be an easy and engaging read so I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good murder mystery. It would be a perfect pick for a summer vacation read. I think a book club could get some mileage out of it. My copy was 368 pages long. One thing to be aware of is that there are alot of different characters, so if you are someone that has trouble keeping names straight you might want to take notes. I didn’t have any trouble with it but I do think it is worth noting. 

Did I purchase it?

Yes, It was my August 2021 Book of the Month pick.

Rating: 4.5/5