Murder on Mistletoe Lane (A Stella and Lyndy Mystery Book 5)

Author:    Clara McKenna

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback (LP); Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496738202; 9788885794589

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$27.00, $27.99; $12.99 Amazon

October 24, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taking on the responsibilities that come with being Lady Lyndhurst, Stella is eager to embrace yuletide traditions in the Edwardian English countryside and use her strong social influence for good.  Her world becomes so consumed with starting a horse farm charity for the holidays that she barely notices the usual oddities attached to her upper-crust lifestyle.  At least, not until items vanish from her bedroom and maligned housekeeper, Mrs. Nelson becomes seriously ill -- only to be found dead in the cold on Mistletoe Lane...

Cheery spirits are dashed following the sudden death, especially once Stella questions whether her own staff knows what -- or who -- killed the woman.  Her suspicions mount when another person dies under strange circumstances during New Forest's annual Point-to-Point Boxing Day race.  Then there's the case of Morrington Hall becoming plagued by false identities, secret affairs, and disgruntled employees...               

Now, with two murders unfolding before their eyes in Late December, Stella and Lyndy realize they can't fully trust anyone except for themselves while investigating.  Because as disturbing answers come into focus, identifying the criminal responsible and surviving into the new year would be the greatest gift of the season...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Stella, Lady Lyndhurst, is celebrating her first British Christmas as a married woman, she came to England from her home of Kentucky in America, and fortunately fell in love with the man she was slated to marry by her father.  She's still finding her way around new customs, and her new mother-in-law is decidedly frosty in her presence, and it's not because of the weather.

It doesn't help that there are visitors arriving -- Sir Edwin, his wife Lady Isabella, and their son Frederick -- and Lyndy is curious because they've not been there in many years, at least since before he was born.

One night she is awakened by a maid because the housekeeper, Mrs. Nelson has taken ill and she doesn't know what to do.  Stella has her call the doctor, and once he informs her it's a case of food poisoning, Stella leaves her in the maid's care.  But the next day Mrs. Nelson is nowhere to be found.  Both Lyndy and Stella are stunned when they discover that she's been killed on Mistletoe Lane, and Stella wonders why she was out in the night at all, being so ill.

Now Stella has a murder to solve, and she wants it done before Christmas, so as not to spoil the holiday.  But there are other things afoot as well -- personal items from her room have been stolen, strange notes appear, Sir Edwin seems to be flirting with her (making her uncomfortable) and of all things, Lyndy's mother comes to her with a strange confession and asking for her help!  Will wonders never cease?

When there's another 'accident' which is deemed to be a murder occurs, it only strengthens Stella's intent to solve both.  Is she putting herself in danger?  Or will there be Christmas miracles after all?

I have to admit first that I rarely read historical novels.  Upon occasion, I will read something along the lines of Rebecca and other classics, but this is the one of the first historical cozies that I've ventured into.  And what a surprise I received.  The writing is excellent as well as the plot, and the characters are compelling (even those I didn't care for).  Everything is written with precision and in such a way to draw you into the story nearly from the beginning.

It was a delight to read, and now I find that I must go back and begin with the first one (this being the fifth story!) and introduce myself to all the characters from their onset.  I am actually looking forward to doing so.  

Stella is an intriguing character; she's from America and grew up as an only child on a large horse farm, she's developed her strong social and moral tendencies, with her kindness and forgiveness part of her being.  She's not a pushover, and is quite intelligent.  Her husband Lyndy is a perfect fit, allowing Stella her way while still taking on the role of protector, as was the wont then (and should still be).  

Throughout the story we are given many suspects and questionable behavior, all leading us to wonder who the murderer is.  When Stella has her 'aha' moment, we are not privy to the answer immediately.  We must watch as she confronts the killer along with her husband -- but she is not out of danger yet.

In the end, will Stella have her perfect English Christmas?  One must wait and see, but I can tell you that I highly recommend this book.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mistletoe-Stella-Lyndy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BT8N13P1/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5810043782

More on Clare McKenna's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/clara-mckenna/

Murder Checks Out (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Victoria Gilbert

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639105205

Crooked Lane Books

272 Pages

$30.99; $18.99 Amazon

November 14, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Returning to her role as an amateur detective is the last thing library director Amy Muir wants.  She's already buried under an avalanche of responsibilities, including sharing the directorship of the local public library, parenting her holiday-obsessed five-year-old twins, and helping her choreographer husband, Richard, present The Nutcracker as part of the town's festivities.  With her frosty mother-in-law, Fiona, visiting for the holidays, Amy definitely has enough on her Christmas cookie plate.

But when the chair of the festival committee is found as dead as Dickens's proverbial doornail at the town's ice rink, Amy is determined to uncover the real perpetrator to protect her brother-in-law, Ethan Payne, who was placed at the scene.  The clock is ticking down as Sheriff Brad Tucker is equally sure that Ethan is guilty.

It's beginning to look a lot like the murderer hasn't wrapped up his killing spree, and now, it might just be "lights out" on the holiday festivities -- and on Amy's life.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Amy Muir is enjoying her life as a wife and mother, aside from the fact that it's keeping her so busy she's exhausted -- it's not easy being the mother of five-year-old twins, especially at Christmas, and double especially when they find out their grandmother Fiona, Amy's husband Richard's mother, is coming to spend the holiday with them.

When Amy visits her Aunt Lydia at Winterfest, she notices a steep snow-covered slope near where her aunt has her craft booth set up.  It's not until later when the sponsor, Wendy Blackstone, is found murdered that Amy really has her hands full.  She thought she was done with murder, but it seems that the spotlight is on her brother-in-law, Ethan Payne, for the deed.  Now, she'll have to sift through suspects and clues to find the real killer -- and hope that she can do it before Christmas...

This is the eighth book in the series and I have read them all.  I thought because of the time progression (stay with me) that I had missed one, but nope.  This one takes place five years after the last book, and now Amy's given birth and her twins are ruling her life.  There are several changes also, one in which how Amy treats Kurt (my favorite character) and I approve of that.  They've not only come to an understanding, they've become friends.  He's also the twins' godfather, and that shows how far Amy's come.  Good move.

When Ethan is accused of murder, Amy isn't happy.  People know he doesn't have the temperament to commit murder, but there's a problem that no one in the town can get past (and I won't reveal it here since this book is not yet published).  This only adds confusion to the investigation and makes Amy's personal investigation harder.  Not to mention her brother Scott hasn't yet arrived, so Amy is on her own.

Then Fiona arrives, and while Amy is apprehensive at first, things begin to change between them, and Amy comes to a greater understanding of Fiona as well.  I like how this has progressed, and how Amy has become softer since motherhood; she's no longer so judgmental of people, and it works so well in this book.

When the murderer is discovered, it was hidden well until nearly the last, and I found the reasons behind the murder believable and sad, and while murder is wrong, one can sympathize (to a point) but derangement is what it is.

All in all, I found this one of my most favorite books of the series, and I hope that they keep coming for a long time yet.  I read all of Ms. Gilbert's books and have yet to be disappointed.  She is a talented writer with an ability to create interesting storylines.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Checks-Ridge-Library-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BVTPMT8S/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5805139460

More on Victoria Gilbert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/victoria-gilbert/

Dead Man Cakewalking (Apple Orchard Cozy Mysteries Book 20)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798854609173

Independently Published

228 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

August 18, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's one week until Chelsea's wedding...

...and she's got a killer to catch.

When Chelsea arrived in Pine Grove, she was fresh off a massive heartbreak, and she struggled to get back on her feet.  Solving mysteries gave Chelsea the confidence she needed to finally move on, and now she's ready to give her heart to a new man.

But murder gets in the way, just like it always does.

And this time Chelsea's a suspect.

Chelsea sets out to solve the most scandalous murder yet...seven days before "I do."

With the help of her elderly besties, Teeny and Miss May, Chelsea uncovers more secrets than a wedding planner.  And as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes she'll have to put herself in harm's way -- and risk missing her wedding -- to catch the killer.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

It's finally happening.  Chelsea is at last marrying her love, Wayne, and nothing is going to spoil the wedding for her.  That is, until her ex-fiancé Mike shows up at her Christmas tree farm with his new fiancée Priscilla, and they start arguing.  Trying her best to ignore the situation, she comes across them once again at Teeny's diner and they've appeared to make up.  But unfortunately, Mike leaves his wallet behind at the diner and Chelsea and Miss May go to his house to return it.  Big mistake.  When they arrive, Mike is dead, and there is a letter incriminating Chelsa.

Now she's a suspect in his murder.  Mike, the man who left her at the altar in New York.  But for some reason, police chief Sunshine Flanagan doesn't seem to be interested in her all that much, which is weird; or anything else, for that matter.  Chelsea knows that if she's going to marry Wayne, she needs closure to her past.  That means finding Mike's killer.  But it isn't going to be easy, since she discovers that he made enemies everywhere he went, and people don't want to talk to her.  How can she solve a murder in less than a week, finish planning her wedding, and get ready for Christmas?

This is the 20th book in the series, and I have read them all.  This one brings Chelsea full circle from her disastrous relationship with Mile to her perfect one with Wayne (Wayne is the better deal).  When she tries to question Mike's family members, they're haughty and cold (pretty pretentious for people named after pickles -- Gherkin -- just my observation, ha!).  But she does get some information from Priscilla, and even Mike's cousin, which is surprising.

She also gets a chance to come to grips with all her old feelings about Mike, and that gives her something, at least.  But finding a killer in the allotted time isn't a sure thing.  It takes everything Chelsea has inside of her to figure it out, and when she does, it puts her in danger.  Interestingly, help comes from an unexpected corner.

When everything is said and done, the murderer is found (as we know they will be) and Chelsea can once again look forward to peace and quiet in her life.  I have loved this series for a long time, and I want it to continue.  I've come to love the characters and Pine Grove, and I will miss them until the next book.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from Booksprout but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Man-Cakewalking-Humorous-Page-turner-ebook/dp/B0C4411GKT/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5790356246

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

A Case of Deadly Dating (Willow Cove Mysteries Book 4)

Author:    Lily Rose Lane

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0C8J8W1J8

Whiskered Mysteries

158 Pages

$4.99 Amazon

June 18, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aubrey Rose -- Willow Cove's top private investigator, and possible suspect in another murder case...

The new nurse in town met her demise -- at the bottom of a staircase -- but she isn't the only skeleton in Willow cove.

Apparently, she's also Gavin, my boyfriend's, ex.

And now he's acting even weirder, secretive.

That doesn't make either of us a suspect, right?

It's up to us to help solve the case and not let our own bout of deadly dating get in the way.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Aubrey Rose moved back to Willow Cove after her disastrous marriage fell apart.  Now she's running the family B&B along with her mother.  Their handyman, Gavin, is also Aubrey's new boyfriend, and partner in their new private investigating firm.  All is well, or so Aubrey thinks.

One morning Gavin cuts himself with a chainsaw, and Aubrey takes him to the clinic in town.  There's a new nurse who stitches him up, and Gavin is unusually grim.  When Aubrey asks him about it, she discovers that the nurse is his ex-wife, and he's not happy to see her.  Later, when she's murdered, both Gavin and Aubrey become suspects.  The only way out, of course, is to find the killer themselves...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  I find them delightful to read, as the characters are engaging and believable.  In this book, we have Aubrey facing her own relationship demons as she wonders why Gavin is spending so much time in the work shed, and won't allow her to see what he's doing.  She wonders if he's thinking about Catrina, his ex.  When she decides to question him, he wonders if she trusts him at all.  Such is the world of new relationships and old ghosts, at least in this book.

But back to the mystery: Aubrey begins to question suspects (as it appears that Gavin is too busy to help) and she's not getting the answers she wants.  Of personal interest is Dr. Carl and his wife, but neither have anything to say to her, even though they both knew the dead woman.  Even though the sheriff insists she stay out of the case, Aubrey won't, as she's investigating also.  Will she get the answers she wants, or will Gavin remain suspect #1?

When the ending comes and everything is revealed, it's rather sad but still, a murder has been committed.  We get to see a new insight into the two main characters, who take center place in this book with very little interaction with other secondary characters, but that is how it is supposed to be.  It leaves us with a warm fuzzy, wanting to read the next in the series.  Recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Whiskered Mysteries but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Deadly-Dating-Willow-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C8J8W1J8/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5782567451

More on Lily Rose Lane's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/lily-rose-lane/

Blueberry Blunder (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Amanda Flower

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496734631

Kensington Cozies

336 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

May 23, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bailey King, star of TV's Bailey's Amish Sweets, is building her dream candy factory in Harvest, Ohio.  But no sooner is the frame of the new building up than she finds the dead body of a surly contractor who has a long list of enemies -- including people in the Amish community.  To add to the drama, Bailey is being filmed by a crew for her upcoming show.

When Bailey's TV producer pitched a reality show about building the factory, Bailey was shocked the network picked it up.  She's not shocked that many of the Amish working on the jobsite refuse to be on camera.  However, local community organizer Margot Rawlings is ecstatic -- because the filming coincides with Harvest's First Annual Blueberry Bash.  Margot believes the media attention will make Harvest the most popular destination in Holmes County.  But now, the county may become known for all the wrong reasons...

Bailey will have to sift through a crowd of angry villagers and thousands of blueberries to solve the murder, save her new venture, and protect her Amish friends.  At the same time, she and her longtime boyfriend, Aiden Brody, are making big decisions about their future together -- a future that may be in jeopardy if Bailey is the next pick on a killer's list...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Bailey King moved to Harvest, Ohio, to help her grandmother run her candy store after her grandfather died.  So far, things have been going well, and Bailey even has her own television show.  Everything is going so well, in fact, that Bailey is now building a candy factory not too far away.  The framing is up, and it's on to the next stage -- or it would be if her contractor wasn't trying to get more money out of her.  When she refuses, he also refuses to work, leading to an altercation between the two.  When he's found dead up on the scaffolding, Sheriff Marshall is looking at her as a suspect.  She's not having any of it, and is determined to find the killer so she can get on with her life.  Unfortunately, her life is already turned upside down: she's got a film crew following her who seem more interested in the murder than the factory, the Blueberry Bash that's in full swing, and her cousin Charlotte, who is preparing for her own wedding to Deputy Luke Little and meeting his parents for the first time.  Who said life was boring?  And let's not forget Jethro the pig, who gets into his own situations...

I have always loved this series.  It's one of the most delightful ones out there, and the plots are interesting enough to keep you reading straight through.  Of course, we have a murder early on, and of course, Bailey is once again trying to solve it.  With her cousin Charlotte helping her along the way (to the natural displeasure of Charlotte's fiancé), they try and avoid the film crew while looking for clues -- and sometimes meeting with unpleasant people.

This time it goes into the heart of the Amish people, and there are those who would rather not talk to the duo, including Charlotte's parents (read the book to find out why).  Bailey's boyfriend Aiden is back in town as a newly-minted PI and he's got a case of his own to figure out -- will it connect back to Bailey's, or not matter at all?

When the ending comes it leaves us with a warm feeling inside; the killer is caught (of course), and everything goes back to normal (as much as it can) with quite a surprise to give us.  Again, I love this series and eagerly await the next book.  Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Blueberry-Blunder-Amish-Candy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BFC5DZQ1/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5767749754

More on Amanda Flower's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/amanda-flower/

No Strangers Here (A County Kerry Novel Book 1)

Author:    Carlene O'Connor

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496737526; 9781496737533

Kensington Books

336 Pages

$18.47; $16.95; $13.49 Amazon

October 25, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

On a rocky beach in the southwest of Ireland, the body of a wealthy racehorse owner Johnny O'Reilly has been discovered.  In a town like Dingle, everyone knows a little something about everyone else.  But dig a bit deeper, and there's always much more to find.  And when Detective Inspector Cormac O'Brien is dispatched out of Killarney to lead the murder inquiry, he's determined to unearth every last buried secret.

Dimpna Wilde hasn't been home in years.  But faced with a triple bombshell -- her mother is rumored to have been in a relationship with Johnny, her father's dementia is escalating, and her brother is avoiding her calls -- Dimpna moves back to Dingle to clear her family of suspicion.  And as she takes over the family practice, she finds herself in a race with the detective inspector to uncover the dark, twisting truth behind the murder, no matter how close to home it strikes...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Dr. Dimpna Wilde is a veterinarian just like her father.  She's had tragedy in her life, including the fact that her husband killed himself after a public scandal.  But when she learns that in her hometown of Dingle, where she hasn't been for decades, there's been a murder of a man she knows well and that one of her parents is suspected of the killing, she packs up her menagerie of pets and goes home.

What she finds distresses her -- her father is in the stages of dementia and his practice is falling apart, and her mother now reads the Tarot to locals.  Her brother won't return her calls, and her son Ben is telling her he's in Spain with a new girlfriend.  But the worst thing is she's come fact-to-face with the son of the dead man -- she's hated him forever and now his mother is throwing the accusations on her family.  Dimpna decides to do the only thing she can:  find the murderer before the new inspector in town makes a terrible mistake.  But what will the cost be to her and her loved ones?...

This is the first book in a new series by Ms. O'Connor.  As I love her other series, I wanted to read this, even though it was listed as a "dark cozy."  It is not.  Although foul language doesn't offend me, there is quite a bit of it in this book which exempts it from being a true cozy.  Just throwing that out there, folks.

The plot is rather convoluted, and every character (save the inspector and the other garda) has a connection, tenuous or not, to each other.  Each little thread pulls them closer together, and it gives out terrible secrets, lies, and betrayals.  Dimpna's latest tragedy connects to one that occurred twenty-seven years ago, and it becomes the focus of the book.  It is rather sad, terribly horrid, and there are more secrets to come.

I had a difficult time reading this book.  Mainly because it was rather boring and halfway through, I nearly didn't finish it.  But I wanted to find the outcome, so I plodded forward.  Unfortunately, this book didn't enchant nor enthrall me whatsoever.  Everything seemed to come down to one thing, and the terrible part is that I couldn't connect with any of the characters.  Dimpna has practically no personality, and we aren't given much to go on regarding the others.    While I will give Ms. O'Connor the benefit of the doubt as to creating new characters, I hope that everything goes better in the next book.

I won a copy of this book but it in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Here-County-Kerry-Novel-ebook/dp/B09RGG842R/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4994538719

More on Carlene O'Connor's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/carlene-oconnor/

Death at a Scottish Wedding (A Scottish Isle Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Lucy Connelly

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639105410

Crooked Lane Books

272 Pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

January 9, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finally feeling like Sea Isle , Scotland is becoming her new home, American doctor Emilia McRoy is delighted when she is invited to a wedding at Morrigan's Castle.  Her friends have warned her that it's a three-day party and it's bound to get wild, not to mention the impending snowstorm.  Constable Ewan Campbell, owner of the castle, ensures their safety with the blizzard.  What he doesn't ensure, is that all of his guests would survive the night alive.  When Emilia explores the impressive castle, she finds a dead man in one of the turrets.

The snowstorm hits and the local police can't reach the castle until it lets up.  With no one able to leave, the family insists they carry on with the wedding, which makes Emilia's job as the coroner a bit easier -- the suspects are in one place -- and complicated because the killer has Emilia in his sights.  The fact no one claims to know the victim isn't helping.  Why would someone no one knows be murdered at a castle in the middle of nowhere?

It's up to Emilia to uncover the mystery who the victim is, so the killer doesn't get away Scot free.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Dr. Emilia McRoy is an American transplant to Scotland.  She's accepted the position of Sea Isle's doctor and coroner.  However, when she's invited to a wedding at an historical castle, she doesn't expect to have to do either job.  It's a good thing her assistant Abigail keeps her traveling medical kit ready, because Dr. McRoy was wrong on both counts.

When she sees what she suspects is a murder, no one believes her.  At least until she finds a dead body in one of the turrets.  Now Constable Ewan Campbell knows there's a killer in their midst.  When a major snowstorm hits, everyone is trapped -- with the killer, no less.

After finally identifying the body, no one can figure why the dead man was there.  He wasn't an invited guest, but he did know several of those in attendance.  When the bride begins having "accidents" Emilia vows to keep an eye on her to find out who is trying to kill her.  But how can she do that without telling the guests someone was murdered?

Then the attacks escalate, and Emilia is now in the crosshairs.  She'll need to move fast if she wants to save the wedding, and more so, if she wants to save her own life...

This is the second book in the series and I am sad to say that I have not read the first.  But I plan to remedy that soon.  Ms. Connelly is a talented storyteller, and she writes with aplomb, bringing you into the Gothic atmosphere of an historical castle.  It makes one feel as if they are in Scotland, enjoying the festivities with the guests, although I'm not too sure about having to avoid a killer!

Once you begin reading, it is difficult to put this book down.  The tale weaves through the castle like a tapestry on the wall, bringing the threads together one by one and twisting them into a convoluted story of greed and revenge.  Of course, since those are two of the most ancient reasons for murder, they blend together well.

When we come to discovering the murderer and the reason why, it is almost too late for Emilia, but I loved how she managed to free herself (as we know she must since she is our protagonist) and give us a satisfactory ending to the murder.

In the epilogue, we have all that it should be and gives us a reason to read the next book, which I look forward to.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but it in no way influenced my review.

ttps://www.amazon.com/Death-Scottish-Wedding-Isle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0C1YC143B/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5750751121

More on Lucy Connelly's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lucy-connelly/

Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided

Author:    Scott Eyman

Genre:     Biography/Entertainers

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:`9781982176358

Simon & Schuster

432 Pages

$29.99; $14.99 ($49.99) Amazon

October 31, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The remarkable, must-read story of Charlie Chaplin's years of exile from the United States during the postwar Red Scare, and how it ruined his film career, from bestselling biographer Scott Eyman.

Bestselling Hollywood biographer and film historian Scott Eyman tells the story of Charlie Chaplin's fall from grace.  In the aftermath of World War Two, Chaplin was criticized for being politically liberal and international in outlook.  He had never become a US citizen, something that would be held against him as xenophobia set in when the postwar Red Scare took hold.

Politics aside, Chaplin had another problem: his sexual interest in young women.  He had been married three times and had had numerous affairs.  In the 1940s, he was the subject of a paternity suit, which he lost, despite blood tests that proved he was not the father.  His sexuality became a convenient way for those who opposed his politics to condemn him.  Refused permission to return to the US from a trip abroad, he settled in Switzerland, and made his last two films in London.

In Charlie Chaplin vs. America, bestselling author Scott Eyman explores the life and times of the movie genius who brought us such masterpieces as City Lights and Modern Times.  This is a perceptive, insightful portrait of Chaplin and of an America consumed by political turmoil.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I will tell you first that I am consumed by anything Hollywood in the Golden Age.  I don't watch today's films, and probably never will.  The true actors - Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, etc. and, of course, Chaplin -- have all left us; but their legacies are left behind, in hundreds, if not thousands, of films from the silent era to the 1960's (or such).

I have seen all of these films and own most of them; I am not shy about purchasing a classic film or making a new discovery; this is part of the charm of them.  I can travel back in time whenever I want.  Luckily, or perhaps a fortunate accident, Turner Classic Movies has recently shown two of Chaplin's classics: The Great Dictator and City Lights.  Another channel, FMC, has also runs several of his silents, so I was able to watch the films (again) while reading this book.  Lengthy, but definitely worth the read.

While I have read about Chaplin's troubles, never before have they been laid out in such a way as to make one not only admire him, but feel sorrow for him as well, because of the way our beloved (at least to me) United States treated him -- all because he was not a US citizen, and therefore, he must be a Communist (he was not).  It was sad to read, because by all accounts, even though he was stingy in monetary matters (due to his upbringing), he was extremely generous to friends and coworkers.  

Charlie Chaplin was an enigma unto himself.  Born into poverty, he and his older brother Sydney developed a lifelong bond with each other, and while Syd had done fairly well, Charlie, due to the fact of his visions regarding film, had done much better.  But it didn't come without a price:  His first three marriages failed, and his work was all-consuming.  He would do a hundred takes if it meant a better film.

What others may or may not know is that it was Chaplin, director D.W, Griffith, actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. who created Universal Studios.  They developed and made their own films and those of others, becoming extremely wealthy in the process.  This, of course, afforded Charlie the means to make those films he wished; and what films they were.  While some may not be interested in silent films, none can dispute his "Little Tramp" was brilliant.  It was this introduction into his early films that made me watch the others.

Charlie was married unhappily three times, and it was not until he met the 17-year-old Oona O'Neill (daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill) that he finally found love.  He married her when she turned eighteen, and the marriage lasted until his death.  But even then he found problems as there were those in Hollywood and even Washington, D.C. who found him 'unacceptable' when it came to his private life.  I will not go into the story of Joan Berry here, but you can read the entire tale in the book.  I will say, however, that while Charlie may have had strong sexual proclivities, he never once took a minor where they shouldn't be.. He was not a predator.  In all, he adored Oona and could not have survived without her.

Charlie was given a bum rap. if you will, by this country, all because they were unhappy with the fact that he wouldn't become a citizen (he considered himself a 'citizen of the world'), and didn't have the same sensibilities of others during the Red Scare -- which I will say, ruined the careers of many actors and others).  When he retired to Switzerland, he was happy with his life, but longed to make more films, and did succeed in making two more, although they were not well-received by the critics nor the public.  However, Charlie's brilliance could not stay buried forever, and years later he was received with open arms on all fronts.

Whatever you think about the puckish Mr. Chaplin, love or hate him, this biography will open your eyes to the type of person he was.  It is not fawning over him, but tells the true tale of Charlie's life from birth to death, and everything that occurred in between, giving us a definitive tale of both the man and the genius.  It has given me a renewed admiration.  Highly recommended.

I thank Simon & Schuster for the advance copy of this book.  However, it did not influence this review in any way.

https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chaplin-vs-America-Politics-ebook/dp/B0BV157PXK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5736274891

More on Scott Eyman's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=scott+eyman&i=digital-text&crid=6IHP5VHHYF2I&sprefix=scott+eyman%2Cdigital-text%2C173&ref=nb_sb_noss_1