THE YELLOW HOUSE (Patricia Falvey)

Eileen O'Neill is a 10-year-old girl in early 20th century Ulster when her younger sister Lizzie falls gravely ill and is taken to the fever hospital and subsequently reported dead.  This event marks the beginning of Eileen's bad luck.  Her mother, after giving birth to brother Paddy soon after the loss of Lizzie, takes oldest son Frank and leaves the family's home (the Yellow House of the title) to return to her father's house.  Eventually Mrs. O'Neill's guilt and sorrow drive her into a deep depression and she is institutionalized.  Eileen struggles to help her Da raise Paddy in the midst of Northern Ireland's violent struggle over Home Rule. Eventually losing their Da to IRA violence, she and Paddy move in with Eileen's godparents and she goes to work in the local mill, owned by the wealthy Sheridan family. Eileen's dream, to reunite her family in the yellow house, slips further and further away as her marriage to James Conlon founders and the increasing violence of the IRA threatens to destroy all that she holds dear.

In addition to Falvey's wonderful historical research, she has created vivid characters with depth and richness that reflect the tumultuous political climate beautifully.  The reader will leave feeling that they have been both educated and captivated.

BEHAVING BADLY (Isabel Wolff)

Anyone who thinks that chick-lit is primarily mindless fluff needs to have another think!  Behaving Badly is a wonderful story with several layers of plot that keep the reader engaged throughout the novel.  Miranda Sweet is a veterinarian turned animal behaviorist who is recovering from a recent traumatic (not in the usual way) break-up with her actor fiancé.  During a session with a client she notices a picture of the woman's familiar-looking husband, an up and coming member of Parliament.  Eventually she realizes that MP James Mulholland is Jimmy Smith, with whom she shares a radical and possibly criminal past.  Weighed down by guilt for 16 years, she seeks out the victim of her youthful mistake intending to confess and take the consequences, but "Jimmy" has other ideas that might destroy her life and career.  Wolff manages to combine an endearing heroine, political intrigue, and romantic suspense with thoroughly fascinating glimpses into various animal behaviors. This novel is a must read for anyone who is looking for something fun that will keep them interested from start to finish.

AS HUSBANDS GO (Susan Isaacs)

The great Susan Isaacs has done it again, adding an irresistible touch of mystery to her usual Jewish woman-with-a-problem story.  Happily married and the mother of triplets, Susie Gerston is in a state of shock when her husband and best friend, successful Manhattan plastic surgeon Jonah Gerston, is found murdered in the seedy apartment of "escort" Dorinda Dillon, who is eventually tracked down in Vegas and arrested for the crime.  The police are happy with their open and shut case, but Susie won't be satisfied until she is convinced that the real killer is being brought to justice.  She enlists the aid of her look-alike grandmother, Ethel O'Shea, and her best friend Andrea, and husband "Fat Boy", to help her investigate.  Susie thought that Jonah was happy with their life and their three rambunctious boys and cannot believe that he sought out the services of a prostitute.  Adding to her stress are Jonah's parents, who are anxious to see Dorinda convicted, and brother-in-law Theo, who is more concerned with a possible inheritance from Jonah than seeing justice served.  As Susie discovers signs of problems in Jonah's medical practice and reviews evidence gathered by the private investigator that she had hired initially to investigate Jonah's disappearance, she becomes convinced that there is much more to Jonah's murder than meets the eye.  How can she convince the authorities to reopen the case?

The one thing that bothered me about this novel (and it's only a little detail) is the transition just before the ending, whne we see that the killer has been arrested and convicted.  I'm not quite sure how that happened so quickly but, like Susie, I was glad to have all of the pieces of the puzzle finally put together.  One thing that makes this novel stand out from a typical whodunnit is the emotional development of the characters.  I recommend Isaacs' latest wholeheartedly!  Check it out!

THE BODY IN THE TRANSEPT (Jeanne Dams)

American widow Dorothy Martin is possessed of the best traits of Jessica Fletcher with a touch of Hyacinth Bucket.  She is intelligent and inquisitive, sensitive and self-sufficient, but doesn't feel completely decked out without a beautiful hat.  Having recently lost her beloved husband, Frank, Dorothy has decided to continue with their plans of settling in Sherebury, an English academic town, in the shadow of a great cathedral.  After the Christmas Eve service Dorothy trips over the dead body of a brilliant but universally disliked canon of the church in the transept, and so begins her career as an amateur sleuth.  Dorothy is wonderful: low key, logical, and refined.  Dams manages to present Dorothy as a fully developed character despite the fact that this is the first in the Dorothy Martin series.  Will I read more?  Without a doubt (and I already have, come to think of it!).  The mystery is great and the characters are even better.  The setting is thoroughly Englad - you can almost feel the damp and cold fog coming in under your door as you read.  This is a great series for any time of year and any time you want to just escape from everyday life and be thoroughly entertained.

A VINTAGE AFFAIR (Isabel Wolff)

What can I say but that I loved this book!  It is full of layers and texture and color, all woven together in Phoebe Swift's struggle to forgive herself for the death of her best friend, Emma.  Phoebe has broken her engagement and left her prestigious position at Sotheby's, partly to fulfill her dream of owning a vintage clothing shop, but also to attempt to heal emotionally and begin life anew.  During the course of setting up her shop she encounters new friends and possibilities for new romances.  She also meets Therése Bell, a dying woman with a closet full of beautiful vintage outfits plus one handmade blue woolen coat with a story all its own that becomes an important part of Phoebe's story as well.

Wolff succeeds on several levels with this novel.  The detailed descriptions of the clothing in Phoebe's shop will delight vintage fashion afficionados as well as anyone who loves fabrics, colors, and textures.  There is just enough romance to satisfy, and enough humor to lift a readers' spirits.  The characters are lovable and quirky, especially Phoebe's mother and Dan.  There is a universal psychological aspect not found that often in "chick lit" and the parent-child dynamics are true-to-life. The heart of the book, however, lies with Therése Bell and her unexpected friendship with Phoebe, a friendship that allows Phoebe to come to terms with her own emotions and to move on with her life.  My verdict?  Two thumbs up for this one!