The Chelsea Girls: A Novel

Meet Isabel Puddles by M.V. Byrne is a new cozy mystery featuring widow Isabel Puddles. She is active in her community and knows everyone (along with their stories). We get detailed information on Isabel and what seems like everyone she knows. It felt like an information dump in the beginning with all the details. I did not feel we needed a life history on Isabel (not in the first book) and anyone who lived or worked nearby (it was too much). There are some interesting and quirky characters in the story. I enjoyed the humorous moments which had me laughing. The vivid depictions of the town allowed me to visualize it. It took a bit to get to the mystery (we are busy getting to know Isabel). There are multiple suspects in the whodunit. Isabel works her way through each one. I wish the whodunit had been more of a challenge. Identifying the guilty party is a piece of cake even with the number of suspects. The mystery is not at the forefront of the story. Just when I would start to get into the whodunit, Isabel would launch into one of her tales (she has so many of them). We follow Isabel and the sheriff as they investigate Carl’s death. I do like how it all comes together at the end. The author needs to find a balance between too much information and too little. I cannot imagine what else there is to learn about Isabel. It seems that we know everything about her. I thought the pacing of the story was slow and the story felt like it dragged on forever. I really struggled to finish Meet Isabel Puddles. There were some bright moments that I truly enjoyed. I hope there are more of them in future books. This is just the first book in A Mitten State Mystery series. We must wait to see how the series develops as well as the author’s writing. Meet Isabel Puddles has potential with its interesting main character, quirky residents, and charming town.

THE CHELSEA GIRLS by Fiona Davis is a stand alone, historical, women’s fiction storyline focusing on three women: actress Maxine Mead, struggling actress/playwright/director Hazel Riley, and New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel, where the who’s who of entertainment and art, party and live. Told from first person perspective (Maxine Mead) and third person (Hazel Riley), based loosely in fact, THE CHELSEA GIRLS covers approximately twenty-two years in the life of actress Maxine Mead, and struggling actress/playwright/director Hazel Riley. In 1945 Hazel Riley had the opportunity to join the USO tour in Europe where she would meet actress Maxine Mead, and young artist Floyd Jenkins. A tight friendship would develop but the end of the war separated the trio until five years later when Hazel’s play Wartime Sonata, based upon their experiences in Europe, would be picked up by a Broadway producer, bringing Maxine, Floyd and Hazel back together again but all was not well in the United States as Senator Joseph McCarthy started a hunt for Communists in America. Targeting the entertainment industry, creating the HUAC House Un-American Activities Committee in an effort to takedown those believed to be members of, and support the Communist Party, Hazel would soon discover that a wolf in sheep’s clothing was about to destroy everything and more. The majority of the story line is set in Manhattan, New York and The Chelsea Hotel . Hazel’s play has been commissioned by a Broadway producer, and the arrival of Hollywood starlet Maxine Mead pushes the production onwards and up but opening night is a disaster, and the fall-out finds Hazel facing the HUAC trying to prove she is innocent, and defend the lives of the people she loves. Fiona Davis blends fact with fiction in a story line sweeping in the grandeur of The Chelsea Hotel-the secrets, the parties, the artists, and the reality of McCarthyism, and the witch hunt for Communists in America. THE CHELSEA GIRLS is character driven, imaginative and wondrous story line that focuses on a period in time where lives were destroyed by accusation and innuendo without proof or evidence to the contrary.

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis is Historical Fiction with romance, spies, intrigue, politics, suspense, friendship and betrayal. The story starts out in World War II with American‘s fighting the national socialists of Germany. The story continues into the 1950‘s with the fight against the communist socialists from Russia stealing our technological secrets. It ends in the late 1960‘s with the effect on the characters lives caused by the socialist spies, the overzealous prosecution by the anti-socialists and by each person manipulating others to accomplish what they desire. I enjoyed the book especially because of all the historical information. At first the story seemed to be a slow starter but then the action started revealing more with each intriguing plot. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.