Last autumn, I received the free PDF version of The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney from BookSirens to read in exchange for an honest review.
I need to have this novel read and reviewed towards the end of this month. So, this will be my first read for 2026.
My first completed read of the year will be 'The Dead of Jericho' by Colin Dexter - which is the 5th book in the Inspector Morse detective series. I expect to finish it later tonight or early tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI will check out this series as I do like a good mystery!
DeleteI like the cover art for The Green Baize Door. Wonder what it's about...
ReplyDeleteI have three books in progress, so I'm not sure which will be my first read of the year, but I'm going to guess When the Cranes Fly South. The other two are HUGE (The Winds of War and The Emperor of All Maladies).
I was drawn to the cover of this book. Plus, I like historical fiction and mystery novels, so this book should be right up my alley! Below is the publisher's summary for The Green Baize Door. Happy reading, Les!
Delete"An atmospheric historical mystery where every character has their own agenda, and their own truth.
In the fashionable mansions on Chestnut Hill, a simple green baize door separates the masters’ world from the servants’. That door is thrown wide when an elderly housekeeper is found brutally murdered on the first day of the new century. Marie Chevalier, the housekeeper’s poor but ambitious granddaughter, and James Lett, the mansion owner’s kind but indolent son, suspect the killer is connected to one of their families—but which one?
From drawing rooms to alleyways, their separate investigations lead them through the sometimes lavish, sometimes brutal, landscape of turn-of-the-century New England. When long-buried secrets begin to unravel the fragile threads that hold both households together, Marie and James must find a way to bridge the gulf between them—if only to prove that the murderer belongs not to their own world, but to that strange and foreign land on the other side of the green baize door.
Inspired by real-life events, The Green Baize Door is a richly layered historical mystery that explores themes of class identity, family loyalty, and the sometimes blurry line between virtue and vice."
This one looks very interesting. I'm starting the new year off with a nonfiction book about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Fingers crossed it's a good one. Happy New Year! :D
ReplyDeleteOoo, I really enjoy nonfiction books. I'm looking forward to reading your book review for Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys.
DeleteMy reading (of books) has been on the slow side recently. I've been spending far too much time reading news and current events rather than reading for pleasure. In 2026, I resolve to try to change that. Perhaps I'll even try Marie chevalier mysteries!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year, Dorothy! Best of reading wishes to you in 2026! I miss your book reviews as you write really good ones.
DeleteI've read the 1st 53 pages of The Green Baize Door by Eleanor Birney. So far, I'm not thrilled with this novel.
Mine's cheating....it was a book I'd been working on for a couple of weeks in 2025. XD I only needed to finish ~40 pages for it to count as my first 2026.
ReplyDeleteNot cheating in my opinion. There have been times when I haven't bee able to finish a book before year ends due to the holidays and I have to finish reading it in the new year.
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