May books

My best reads from May are:

Pam Lecky - Footprints in the Sand

This is the second novel in the series about the delightful Victorian female sleuth, Lucy Lawrence. Lucy's widowhood has given her more freedom, especially since she received a substantial reward for her previous successful investigation. But taciturn detective, Phineas, who had led her to believe that there was something between them, seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. So when Lucy meets the dashing French Egyptologist, Moreau, she's beguiled enough by his tales of great archaeological discoveries to fund his latest dig. She sails to Egypt with her reluctant maid, Mary, and soon finds herself involved in more than she'd bargained for. Thefts in the hotel, a burglary in the museum, artefacts going missing from sites, all precipitate Lucy into another adventure. And Mary is thoroughly scandalised that her mistress wants them to go and live in a tent in the desert! Populated with colourful characters, exotic locations, not to mention tombs and spooky burial sites, Lucy's path abounds with mystery, danger, and a hint of daring romance too. But who is a friend, and who is an enemy? Another great read from the pen of this author.

Shari Low - One Midnight With You

This is a heartwarming tale of two families in Glasgow who have been connected over the years. This one New Year's Eve (or Hogmanay, as the Scots call it) is pivotal in all of their lives. As the clock ticks down to midnight, four people have big decisions to make. Ailish has to face the fact that her divorce is now final, but she's never been able to move on in her life after the cheating of her ex-husband, Eric. What will her life hold for her now? Meanwhile her daughter Emmy is beginning to fear that the man she loves may be seeing someone else. Emmy's grandmother, Minnie, is having a difficult day, but is determined to bring in the New Year at Gino's Italian Restauruant, where she and her husband have had such wonderful times every year. Tonight she has a special reason why she needs to go there. And Dario, Gino's son who now runs the restaurant, has a hard decision to make which he fears may hurt the people he loves. As midnight approaches it looks like there could be much heartbreak in store. A beautiful intertwining of love and friendship between many members of a community. 

Caroline Cauchi - Daughter of the Titanic

This is a fascinating re-imagining of the life of an enigmatic woman. Helen Melville Smith, daughter of the tragic captain of the Titanic, Edward Smith, was only fourteen when her father went down with his ship. Mel grew up with the weight of her mother's grief and the eyes of the world upon her. She had to cope with the constant speculation in newspapers, rumours that her father had deserted his ship and was still alive, living a secret life. The novel is written in the shape of an interview taking place in the 1970s, when Cambridge professor Catherine is recording Mel's reminiscences after discovering a painting of her with the title An Unlucky Woman. We see Mel's life from the inside, as she enters an unusual marriage, and how she strives to create a life full of meaning and purpose and create her own persona in the face of the labels and judgement she has experienced from people who don't know her. The author dives deep into the loves and sorrows of this woman who travelled through her life under the scrutiny of others, and how tragedy moulded her but ultimately did not destroy her. Sensitively and expertly written, and an excellent read.