First Line Friday: The Grey Wolf

Happy Friday and welcome to the first edition of First Line Friday, where we judge a book by it's first line. Today's first line comes from The Grey Wolf, the nineteenth mystery in the #1 New York Times bestselling Armand Gamache series by renowned Canadian author Louise Penny.

The phone rang. Again. It was the fourth time in eight minutes. All from the same number. All ignored by the head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec. In the hopes it would go away. But like most things ignored, it just got worse.

Juicy, right? Who's calling? Why? And why is Armand ignoring the call? And how does it get worse? Well, I'm one hundred pages in and it definitely does get much, much worse for Armand.

About the book

Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Though the tiny Québec village is impossible to find on any map, someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin The Grey Wolf, the nineteenth novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times bestselling series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "This might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list—and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Armand Gamache; Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command; and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the enormity of the creature they’re chasing becomes clear. If they fail, the devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the smallest of villages.

The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White

Goodreads: The Lost Heiress

Published: 2015

Series: Ladies of the Manor #1

Genres: Adult, Romance, Christian, Historical fiction

Pages: 392

Format: Library, print

Tropes

- Friends to lovers

- Fish out of water

Summary

The story follows Brook, a young lady born in England but raised in Monte Carlo following her mother's suspicious death. Her lifelong friend Justin (Lord Harlow and later, Duke of Stafford) suspects she is actually the daughter of the Earl of Whitby in England and heir to his fortune (after he identifies the Earl's crest on letters written to Brook's deceased mother). They travel to England to meet the Earl of Whitby and his family, who believe she is the lost heiress.

As the prodigal daughter, Brook becomes Lady Berkeley and is poised to inherit her father's estate upon his passing. But Brook has a lot to learn about polite English society in 1910 as she assimilates to life in England. She's also determined to solve her mother's death and gain the respect of the servants of her father's estate.

Meanwhile, when Justin inherits his family's estate, new responsibilities force him away from Brook. This puts a huge strain on their relationship and forces each of them to discover if their friendship has become something more. They must also adapt to the changing dynamic between them now that Brook is Lady Berkeley (and not the daughter of an opera star).

Characters

Brook is a firecracker! She's driven, confident, and bold:

"Let them think what they will. I will be who I am, and I will make no apologies. And if that means I eschew society and forego the marriage mart... Well, what a shame."

In the opening scenes, we meet her forcing Justin to teach her how to drive. She can ride astride, shoot a pistol, drive an automobile, swim, and fence. She regularly wears riding breeches, drinks strong coffee, and is not afraid of going against the norm (though half the time you're not sure if she even knows what is the norm).

Justin (Lord Harlow and later, Duke of Stafford) has deep affection for Brook, even from the beginning of the book. He's mature and passionate:

"When I think of the future, I can imagine no other woman at my side through the years. But I... She loves me, but it has long been as a brother, a friend. Her feelings have not grown as mine have, and I fear if I push her, declare myself too soon, I would ruin any chance I have."

Justin has split his time between Monte Carlo (where his father lived) and England (on his family's estate). He wants the estate to succeed, but pushes Brook away when she reaches out to help him.

We also meet Deidre (who works at Whitby Park) and Lord Pratt (Lord Whitby's neighbour). Deidre becomes Brook's lady's maid and sends some of her earnings home to her family. And she works with Pratt to make life challenging for Brook in England. Pratt is slimy, greedy, and manipulative (and very easy to dislike!)

Brook's father, Lord Whitby, is another great character in this story. He's compassionate, understanding, and loving, and I just love this interaction he has with Justin when he finds out some of Brook's other skills:

Whitby folded his paper and raised his hand, a finger up. "You taught my daughter to ride astride." He raised another finger. "To shoot a pistol." A third. "To drive an automobile." Four. "To swim." And his thumb. "To fence." Brook's next laugh interrupted him, and Justin felt his mouth turn upward into a grin too. Whitby narrowed his eyes. "What have you to say for yourself?" Looking at her, how she sat with such confidence, how she laughed with such abandon, how she faced the world with such brilliance, there was only one thing he could say. "You're welcome."

Writing

The writing felt very fitting for the 1910 setting. Sophisticated, but accessible. Formal and proper, but modern. There was great banter, beautiful prose, and vivid descriptions:

"The wind blasted around her the moment her foot touch the platform. Justin chuckled at her shiver. "To brisk for you?" Brisk? It felt as those snow ought to be swirling - not that she'd ever experienced that phenomenon. "Not at all. I'm perfectly warm." "Liar." His laugh rang out warm and hearty, though.

I loved the time period White chose for this book (Downton Abbey anyone?). The dances and parties, the horses, the importance of the newspaper, the formal social introductions, marrying for estate considerations, the invention of the automobile - such a different world than we live in 2024. Ah, I just wanted to live at Whitby Park! I wanted to see this story on the big screen!

Overall

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I could not put this book down! I absolutely fell in love with Brook, Justin, Lord Whitby, Lord Worthing. The writing was clear and concise, the banter was great, and the characters were well-written. I loved the plot, the setting (especially the time period), the conflict. I can't wait to read more by this author. An easy five stars.

Rocky Road by Becky Wade

Goodreads: Rocky Road

Published: February 14, 2024

Series: Sons of Scandal

Genres: Adult, Romance, Christian

Pages: 392

Format: Library, print

Tropes

• Fake dating

• Opposites attract

Summary

This book is the second installment in Becky Wade's Sons of Scandal series. I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to this one. The story follows Jude, a FBI agent about to go undercover in a case involving Gemma's family perfume business. Her shady cousin is prepared to sell trade secrets and she agrees Jude should pose as her boyfriend to help collect evidence against cousin. FBI rules prohibit any romance between agents and cooperating witnesses like Gemma, so when sparks fly between them, what will straightlaced Jude decide? Will he pursue a relationship with Gemma or will he continue to follow the rules and uphold FBI policies?

Characters

Gemma is spunky; she's outgoing, loyal, and feisty. She has strong family ties and hates that her cousin's actions landed her father in prison. Her family's perfume recipe has been handed down orally for generations and she is not about to sit by and let her cousin get away with his selfish motives.

And when her great-grandma requests her help to locate her old journals, Gemma, her mom, and grandma set out on a fun sub-plot. I especially loved Gemma's interactions with these women; I thought they added great heart to the story and showed family loyalty (which was important considering she was trying to take down her cousin).

Meanwhile, Jude is a buy-the-book lawyer, turned FBI agent. He's always done the right thing and never met a rule he hasn't followed. I really wanted to like Jude, but I felt like his personality was exaggerated and overdone. He didn't really seem to have any sense of humour and was predictable and boring. It felt like Wade took every opportunity to remind the reader that Jude was uptight; even his family works together to force him to loosen up and it all just felt a bit much. Surely there are more sides to Jude!

The writing

Gemma and Jude have a great meet-cute (so original!) and Gemma is very witty and engaging. The prose did feel a bit forced at times but the pacing is great. Wade switches between Gemma, Jude, and Fiona's points-of-view (similar to the first Sons of Scandal book) and Fiona is only featured a few times. Honestly, Fiona is my least favourite character. I think she's selfish and immature, and she doesn't add anything to the Gemma/Jude story. A Jude-centered sub-plot would better serve the story and add depth to Jude's character.

Overall

This one fell flat for me. While I liked Gemma's character, her family sub-plot, and the meet-cute, Jude was dry and their chemistry felt forced. Not the book for me, but I will definitely be watching out for the final installment in the series, Uneasy Street, coming February 2025!