Beatriz Williams

I am a long-time fan of Beatriz Williams' books. She has a unique ability to create feisty and head-strong female protagonists and interweave historical and modern-day story lines. Top this off with witty and flirty banter between the male and female leads and her books (a la old Rock Hudson and Doris Day comedies) and it's usually one fun romp. Unfortunately this new series fell quite a bit short from her previous works.

"The Wicked City" is the first in a proposed new series of books featuring the story lines of 1920's flapper "Gin" Kelly and Prohibition agent Oliver Anson, along with modern-day Ella Hawthorn and her handsome neighbor Hector. The 1920's story takes precedence here, and I found the story line to be convoluted and confusing (this wasn't helped by Williams' attempt to write in the vernacular, which I felt detracted -- not added -- to the story). If I read one more reference to NYC being "the wicked city," I might have needed a sip of some bathtub gin myself.

Williams' books are usually such a delight and she is a writer of great talent. I'm hopeful this book is merely an aberration, and that the next in the series will provide the same level of spunk and smartness we are used to seeing from her.

Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Beatriz Williams delivers another winner in the latest installment of the Schuyler Sisters series.

"Along the Infinite Sea" provides readers with two parallel stories -- the late 1930's story of Annabelle Dommerich in a Europe that is heading for war, and the mid-1960's story of Pepper Schuyler, the feisty daughter of a prominent NYC family entangled in an affair with a legendary politician.

In "Sea" Williams does what she does best -- gives readers smart, resourceful, headstrong female protagonists with moxie (no shrinking violets here!), mixes in a good love story complete with moral ambiguity, throws in some mystery to keep readers guessing, and ties it up in a "historical fiction lite" package so that we learn something along the way. It's not the kind of book I like to read all the time, but it definitely hits the spot when I'm in the mood.

4 solid stars.
… (plus d'informations)