So Excited

Today I found out I won a book on Goodreads through their First Reads Giveaways. I have been entering their giveaways for only about a week now so I never expected I'd win one so quickly. The book I won is Season of Darkness by Maureen Jennings. This is one that I really hoped I would win as I have hear a lot about several of her other books but have never had a chance to read one. I have however enjoyed watching the TV series Murdoch Mysteries which is based on some of her books.

I also really like the idea that this book is the first of a trilogy. I always like reading books that are a part of a series so then if I enjoy it I'll be able to find another book with either the same characters or setting by the same author.

The Author
Here is what McClelland and Stewart have to say about Maureen Jennings:
MAUREEN JENNINGS was born in England, and emigrated to Canada as a young woman. Her first mystery series, set in Victorian-era Toronto, featured Detective William Murdoch. The first Murdoch mystery, Except the Dying, was shortlisted for both the Anthony and the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Awards. It was followed by Under the Dragon’s Tale, Poor Tom Is Cold, Let Loose the Dogs (shortlisted for the Anthony Best Historical Mystery Award), Night’s Child (shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award, the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award, the Barry Award, and the Macavity Historical Mystery Award), A Journeyman to Grief (nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award), and Vices of My Blood.  Shaftesbury Films adapted the first three novels into movies of the week, which were then developed into a series called the Murdoch Mysteries, now going into its fifth season, and broadcast in over one hundred countries around the world. Maureen’s new trilogy of mysteries set in World War II–era Shropshire, England, will be launched with Season of Darkness in August 2011.  A new six-part television series entitled Bomb Girls, produced by Back Alley Films and Muse Entertainment for Global Television and inspired by the second book in the trilogy (Beware This Boy), will air in early 2012.

The Book (Season of Darkness)
Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector. Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. When one of these young women is found murdered on a desolate country road, Tyler is almost glad for the challenge; he has been fretting for some time about the dullness of policing in a rural community. In addition, a former lover has reappeared and turned his emotions upside down; his soldier son seems utterly changed by his experience at Dunkirk; and his sixteen year old daughter is unhappy. As he pursues the murderer, Tyler finds himself drawn into an uneasy alliance with one of the Prees Heath internees, a psychiatrist, who claims to be an expert on the criminal mind.

Interested?
If this book peeks your interest you can find it in bookstores beginning August 2, 2011. If the postal strike here in Canada doesn't continue for too long then I hope to receive my copy soon so I can read it and let you all know what I thought of it. Thanks again to Goodreads Giveaways and McClelland and Stewart who made my winning of this book possible.

Review: The Sinister Omen

Title: The Sinister Omen (Nancy Drew #67)
Author: Carolyn Keene
Genre: Mystery
Format: paperback
Published: January 6, 1982
Rating: 4/5

Nancy helps an elderly woman whose house has been burglarized frequently and tries to stop an international ring of stamp forgers.

A gang's efforts to scare amateur detective Nancy Drew away from a case in The Sinister Omen are futile as her interest only gets stronger in a mystery that involves stamp collections from all over the world being stolen all of which included extremely rare particular stamps. She is then also hired by a wealthy woman to catch some burglars who continue to ransack her house yet steal nothing.

I used to find that in many Nancy Drew books Nancy just seems to have too much luck, finding important clues with little effort, being able to get herself out of trouble as quickly as she got into it, etc and this book was no different. However I did notice in this book specifically that there were a few times where the crooks slipped through her fingers, were lost sight of before they could be caught, etc. which was a nice change. These events finally made Nancy have to rethink her strategies and be a bit more inventive.

Setting: On vacation Nancy and her friends travel from their homes in River Heights down the US east coastline to Fort Lauderdale in Florida where they travel around a fair bit of the city, beaches, and surrounding area while staying at the luxurious home of a friend/business partner of Nancy's father.

Characters: Nancy Drew along with her girl friends Bess and George and their boy friends Ned, Burt and Dave are all involved in the adventures of this book. In addition, Nancy's father Carson Drew makes brief appearances as he works on different leads of his own case (which Nancy helps solve in addition to her own mystery), and several others on both sides of the law are included. My favourite secondary character in this book is tied between the fiesty elderly lady and the bodyguard.

Age Recommendation: This book has been marketed for ages 9-12 however the nostalgia of Nancy Drew can really be enjoyed at any age.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it only took me about a day to read which was a nice change. I used to be quite a Nancy Drew fan when I was younger and read about 50 books of the series then. I haven't read any since then so it was nice to reminisce about those days as I re-encountered familiar characters as well as a few bits of reoccurring plot lines.