In January, when stricter Covid-19 rules resumed, the Sussex Library was open only for pickup of books ordered online. We had not realized this. So when my husband went there to get books for me, a librarian told him he couldn’t go in.
Oh, ok, he said and turned to walk away. “What does she like?” the librarian asked. “Mysteries,” he said. And she asked him to wait while she got some books for me.
He came home with three books with really nice covers by authors I’d never read. And of course, the story of how he happened to have them. I couldn’t wait to see what a total stranger had chosen for me. And I was thrilled that she had chosen them at all! She could have just said, too bad, so sad, check the website next time.
The three books
The first one I read was An Irish Hostage by Charles Todd. Set in 1919, it’s the story of an English nurse who goes to Ireland for the wedding of her WWI nursing comrade. Tensions between Irish and English are still running high after the 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland, and the bride’s family is in the thick of it. It’s the 12th in the ‘Bess Crawford Mysteries’ series, published by HarperCollins in 2021. Excellent.
Next I read Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris. It’s about a perfect marriage. I found myself reading just one more page, just one more chapter, just until I finish this bit. It’s very creepy, and very good. But a trigger warning, I guess. There’s a small part about a dog, and it stayed with me – not in a good way. Despite that, I’m very glad I read the book. It was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2016.
Lastly, I read Hostage by Clare Mackintosh. A flight attendant learns about a threat to her family while she’s on a long haul flight. She has to do as she is told, or else. You’re right there with the crew and passengers. The jacket asks: what would you do? I really don’t know, despite thinking about it a lot. But I’d be hard pressed to get on an airplane and not think of this story. Published in 2021 by Sourcebooks.
So thank you, Sussex librarian, for introducing me to these three authors. I loved the books. And, especially, thank you for going out of your way to make sure I had something to read. Having spent a lot of time in the Sussex Library, I know that the staff is always pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful. Still, this time, you went way beyond the call of duty and I greatly appreciate it.
- See my Interlibrary Loan for a great service provided by libraries.
- Tap highlighted book titles to see them on Amazon.
