Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister And The Heir To Chatsworth by Paula Byrne

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Kick: The True Story of JFK's sister and The Heir To Chatsworth,' a Biography by Paula Byrne.

The Kennedy's are a fascinating family and one that evokes both power and nostalgia. One of the clan that is less known but with a life you could only imagine is Kathleen Kennedy, JFK's sister, and the heir to Chatsworth. Known as Kick she is and remains a women who made her way, taking first the U.S. and then England by storm with her incredible persona.

In Kick: The True Store of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne we ware taken into the lives once more of the dynamics and tragedies of a family that will intrigue generations to come, and who have left such and indelible mark on history.

Kick left behind a legacy in two different continents, and was beloved by her family and friends. Finding herself as much, and maybe more, at home in England, she breaks taboo with her family and marries a non Catholic. Love was everything, but Kick was also a Kennedy and proud of her background, the decision rocked her own psyche as well as that of her family back home. Little did she know the man she loved would live such a short life.

Yet we find that Kick continues in her indomitable way, and later finds a passion that even she cannot escape. The story that unfolds holds you immobile as you try to come to terms, as we have had to for so many of this famous and historical family struck by such staggering losses.

Byrne brings us an understanding of one of the lesser known characters, a woman who lived life on her own terms.  Along with this telling we are brought even closer to older brother Joe Jr., as well as the family member most like herself, JFK. There is so much beauty and thought, as well as drama and despair you will find this work very difficult to put down.

If you feel like you know all there is to know about this family, you may find this work to show you the error of your thoughts. If you are as infatuated with the family and their history, then this is a work that will be important to your library. Historical and filled with fact and events as they unfold, you will not be disappointed.

This would be a great book for a book club or reading group. The Kennedy family has always found a way to create interesting debate and discussion.

Rating 5/5

Journey To Munich by Jacqueline Winspear

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Journey To Munich,' A Historical Novel by Jacqueline Winspear.

In Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear, after a long self-reflecting journey Maisie Dobbs has found a form of peace with her loss. The pain still lingers at the death of her husband and the aftermath, but she is finally able to move forward and reconnect with those who have stood by her in her time of solitude. Yet her friends are not the only ones looking for something from her.

The Secret Service needs her to pretend to be the family member of an important British subject imprisoned in Germany.The Germans have agreed to release him to his daughter, who unbeknownst to them is gravely ill. Maisie must become this daughter in order to receive and deliver him to the British authorities.

Yet they are not only ones who need her help. The man she holds the responsible for her husband’s death is now also in need of her services. His is of a more personal level, one that makes it almost more than she can bear. Can she put her feelings behind her and once more find her way to help someone in need.

Her own life has been turned upside down.  Both her own problems and the war-torn craziness that is now infecting the whole of the continent threaten to derail her from her path.  Can she find a way to be the person she once was, and help to extricate an older man from the grips of tyranny as well as overcome her reluctance to help an old enemy?

Winspear continues with her heroine, Maisie Dobbs, and take us deep into the heart of Germany as it prepares and begins the atrocities against others that linger in the thoughts of many even to this day. She sprinkles the stories with the bits of history that have occurred and makes you feel as though you are there with Maisie as she faces the dangers of a regime that seems out of control. You feel her hurt and her fears as she carefully balances the challenges that come against her.

If you enjoy historical fiction, as well as mystery and spy novels you will enjoy this and want to add it to your library. Maisie is a great character and you will want to go back and find her other adventures as you come to the end of this one. The history and storyline is intriguing and enthralling, keeping you reading late into the night.

Rating 4/5

The good Liar by Nicholas Searle

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Good Liar' A Novel of Suspense by Nicholas Searle.

In The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle, Roy is a con-man finding and hooking up with elderly women on dating websites. He is calculating and cold, with a charm that just touches the surface as he finds the woman he is looking for. When he finds the one woman who is his ideal, and though he understands that Estelle is not her real name for purposes of the dating game, once he meets her, he realizes that she has all the qualities that he is looking for. She is refined; she has money and most of all she seems to be easy to be around. For him this is a snap, he has done this all before, and he is ready for his new game. He is not finding it as easy as he once did when he was younger.

She, on the other hand is no fool, but she is ready to take a stance. She is lonely and finds him to be attractive and attentive. Once she realizes that he is the man she is looking for they become closer and she reveals her name is really Betty. She also introduces him to her son, Stephen. She seems quite close to him and he seems very protective of her. Roy knows that it will be a challenge to get what he is after, but knows the rewards outweigh the risks.

After moving in together, Betty wonders if she has made the right decision. Stephen is not pleased, but he must be made to understand that her relationship with Ray is all for the best. For Ray, his life is both what he expects but some odd things are happening. Not sure he understands, he knows in his heart that he will get a big payload at the end of this con. But Betty seems different, yet he can’t quite put his finger on it. He will certainly miss her, but he is all about the con, and this will be a good one.
Can Betty find her way to understand the real man behind the mask, or has she known all along and just willing to put up with him for the sake of her loneliness?

Searle has given us characters that you either adore, or just hate. They are so real that you find you have a stake in the outcome, but be prepared for he has also given twists and turns and red herrings that change the game at each juncture. He gives us a great deal of history as well without us really even realizing it as his steady pace holds you enthralled and he keeps you wondering how the story will play out.


If you enjoy mystery, suspense and thrillers with history as part of the background this will be a great addition to your library. If you are looking for a strong protagonist, both Ray and Betty fit the bill in this strange, psychological work by Searle. This is his debut novel, so look out for more of his work in the future.

Rating 5/5

Forgotten, The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War by Linda Hervieux

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Forgotten, The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War by Linda Hervieux.

Sometimes the most heroic stories are those you don’t hear about, those held in the hearts of the men who lived them.  In Forgotten, The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War by Linda Hervieux, we are introduced to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. With a time of war and especially the fateful landing on a French beach Normandy there are many unsung heroes, those who willingly gave their lives to save the lives of the many.

The 320th Balloon Battalion was a unit of African American soldiers who also landed on the beach—their job—to use their curtain of armed balloons and deter enemy aircraft.

With the discovery of military records and the interviews of the last of the survivors, Hervieux has given us a look into the lives of those who served anonymously. While known and respected for their work, they were nonetheless ostracized by other U. S. battalions for race was still a major issue. Lacking freedom from their home in the U.S. the treatment and friendship they garnered in England and most of Europe opened their eyes to the way things could be if equality could really happen for them.

This work draws on the life of Wilson Monk, Henry Parham, William Dabney, Samuel Mattison and thousands of other sent abroad to fight for the liberties they were not yet afforded in their own country. These very experiences they carried back added fuel to the civil rights of the time.

As Hervieus tells the story of this group of freedom fighters she also imbues the work with the tensions of the racial politics of the time as well as the human bravery for a group fighting for freedom and for many giving up their lives for something they had yet to earn for themselves. For these veterans most of their stories remained unheard for the depth of danger and anguish made the retelling difficult.

As Hervieus tracks the stories through the lead up and aftermath of the Normandy landing you get a visual picture of the situations as well as the danger involved. Yet this team of amazing individuals were a very necessary part of taking the beach that day, and the trail of searching for them and getting the stories from the survivors and their families, as well as the few records, we once again see the courage and brilliance of their actions and how their heroism helped to fuel as well as inflame the civil rights movement that came after.

If you enjoy history and works about D-Day, and just getting to know more about the differing views of occurrences and as well as the lives and faces belonging to the Barrage Balloon Battalion you will find this a great work.

This would be a great work for a book club or reading group with a great deal of detail to discuss.

3\5