The Women of Wynton's, A Classy 1950's Mystery by Donna Mumma ~ a book review

 

 

This story is set in a time when people dressed up to go shopping. I grew up in that time and as a child I remember putting on my "good clothes" to go shopping. I wasn’t aware of some of the topics dealt with by the author. Hopefully history has educated us and enlightened us. This story, while entertaining, deals with the upsetting topics of racial discrimination, prejudice and women’s equality and often mistreatment in the work place.

The story is about four very different women who band together to solve a mystery. They don’t always agree with each other and often end up mistrusting and fighting each other. Along the way they develop relationships and learn about each other and themselves.

Each character is introduced to us at the beginning of the book with their own story.

Audrey, the focal character, is not liked by very many people. She holds herself apart and doesn’t get close to very many people. She is basically second in command to the Wynton Department Store’s owner.

When she suspects someone is trying to hurt herself and her boss, she organizes an unlikely group of women to try to figure out who the culprit is.

This is a very entertaining and sometimes disturbing story.  I would have liked to see more faith centered content for me to feel comfortable labeling it a Christian story. There were a few “the good Lord’s” sprinkled around and it is certainly clean. The only thing I would have like to have seen changed was the use of the period between single words. It was a little. Over. Done. 

There is a romance that develops over time but it is not the main focus of the book.

This is from the publisher's website:

Mid-Century Glam Meets Murder Mayhem
 
Get swept away to the glamor of a 1950’s department store where four women’s loyalties, vanity, friendship, and detective skills are put to the test.
 
Audrey Penault once led a glamorous life as a model but now works as devoted secretary to Mr. Wynton. To her fellow employees, she is too vain and uppity.
 
Mary Jo Johnson, a wife and mother, longs to find her worth in the cosmetics department, but it may take a while for the shy housewife to discover her voice.
 
Vivian Sheffield owns and runs the bridal salon within Wynton’s. She is proud of her accomplishments and won’t let anyone take them away.
 
Gigi Woodard dislikes her job as waitress in the store’s lunchroom, but she is determined not to let her secret shortcomings cause her to lose the position.
 
These four women have much to dislike about each other, but they unanimously agree that Mr. Wynton is the best of employers and must be protected at all costs from someone who seems determined to see him gone for good. When other employee deaths occur, can the women band together to solve the murders, or will they discover it is one of their own bent on destroying Wynton’s from within?

Go HERE to read an excerpt  

I really enjoyed this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir ~ a book review

 

When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

 

The event that this story is based on was an actual event.  The author states in her notes, “This book is fiction, and I have used literary license to imagine the thoughts, words and actions…” of the characters.  She also says that her research involved many stories of the victim’s and survivors. Many of the story lines are inspired by the accounts written of that day. The circus fire of 1944 really happened.

This is a gripping and heart wrenching story about two people who are trying to overcome and accept their past.  Evelyn is a young widow whose husband died in WW1 and has had to give up her home and move in with her brother, Bill, and his family.  They live on a very small home with their two children. Evelyn works as a waitress in a small diner for very little pay. 

Hank is one of the many circus workers.  His main job as a circus clown lets him conceal his identity.  He is hiding from his past and the repercussions of his former actions.  He is present when the circus fire takes place and assists in leading many of the attendees to safety.

While Evelyn is not at the fire, her family is. The author describes the Big Top fire vividly without being overly gruesome.

 The events of that day and the weeks following help to bring Hank and Evelyn closer together and grow and renew their faith.  This is an historically accurate, Christian fiction romance.  The element of faith is very evident, and it is not an overly, “sugar-sweet” romance. Evelyn and Hank learn that they may not always know why God allows certain things to happen, but His ways are always good. The balance of faith, romance, suspense and danger makes this a riveting, thought provoking story. 

This is from the publisher's website:

" Will Faith Perish in the Big Top’s Flames?
 
Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
 
Evelyn Benson’s husband perished in the Bataan Death March but not her faith. The World War II Gold Star widow is taken in by her brother and soothed by the love of his wife and children. Evelyn refuses to cower to grief. She may not understand God’s mysterious ways, but she has never questioned Him—until the circus fire.
 
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train chugs into Hartford, Connecticut, on a sweltering day one month after the Allies invaded Normandy. Among the roustabouts is a reluctant clown, Hank Webb. He may hide from his murky past behind grease paint as Fraidy Freddie, but God wants to offer Hank a chance to be found. Though first, what little Hank believes about God will endure a fiery trial.
 
On Thursday, July 6, 1944, a devasting blaze of unknown origins consumes the circus tent along with Evelyn’s hopes and Hank’s anonymity."

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.