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• Lili Hayward
• Sphere
• 2023, 229 pages
• ISBN: 9781408729557

If you are looking for an entertaining, festive novel you will want to read ”A Midwinter’s Tail.”

The story occurs just before Christmas and features a very good plot, a fascinating setting and interesting characters including a mysterious cat! The setting is the small island Morgelyn, located off the tip of Cornwall, England. Davy Penhallow is an artist and writer who lives on the island. When he ends up in the hospital, he sends his goddaughter, Mina, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in nearly 20 years, a key and a note that says, ”Mina — please look after her.”

The note is likely referring to Davy’s cat ”Murr”.

Mina now lives in London and has a business meeting scheduled that could save her career. Wanting to do the right thing and remembering a ”magical Christmas” at Davy’s years ago, Mina travels to Morgelyn to look after Murr and check out the cottage. Mina enjoys the island, cottage and Murr so much she decides to stay. And when she learns that developers want to develop Morgelyn, she fights to protect the island and Davy’s and Murr’s home.

Highly recommended.

‘The Women’

• Kristin Hannah, read by Julia Whelan
• Macmillan Audio
• 2024, 12 CDs
• ISBN: 9781250317964

”The Women” is an exceptional story by Kristin Hannah.

It is the 1960s and the United States is fighting a controversial war in Vietnam. Frances ”Frankie” McGrath is living a nice life in Southern California with her parents and her brother. When her brother is sent to serve in Vietnam, Frankie follows him by joining the Army Nurse Corps. Serving their country is something that the McGrath family takes pride in.

As soon as Frankie arrives in Vietnam she is thrown into the overwhelming, often horrific, work of caring for the injured soldiers.

This exhausting work takes both a physical and an emotional toll on the nurses. Fortunately, Frankie makes some good friends in Vietnam, including a couple of nurses who support her throughout her life.

And this love and support will save Frankie for as ill-prepared as she was when she arrived in Vietnam, she is even less prepared when she returns home to protesters and a country divided by the war. And, to make matters even worse, the brave women who served in Vietnam are not recognized for their incredible efforts and sacrifices.

Read by Julia Whelan, ”The Women” is a fascinating 15-hour listen.

‘The Waiting’

• Michael Connelly
• Little, Brown and Company
• 2024, 407 pages
• ISBN: 9780316563796 

”The Waiting” is the latest novel in Michael Connelly’s ”Ballard and Bosch” series and it is very good. There is lots happening with Renee Ballard who is still in charge of the ”open-unsolved unit.”

One case that her team of volunteers is working on involves a DNA connection between a young man who was recently arrested and a serial rapist.

Ballard also has to retrieve her badge and gun that were stolen. For this task she asks Harry Bosch for help. And while discreetly attempting to retrieve these items, Renee and Harry learn about an act of domestic terrorism that could soon occur.

Renee’s unit receives help from another Bosch when Harry’s daughter, Maddie, volunteers to join the ”open-unsolved unit.” Besides a desire to help, Maddie brings with her information that could solve ”L.A.‘s greatest mystery.”