Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time

In the near future, a secret branch of the UK government called the Ministry of Time has discovered time travel, but they’re still figuring out its rules and limits. As an experiment, they’ve extracted five “expats,” people from earlier periods of history who would have died in their own eras, and brought them into the present. The book’s narrator works for the ministry; her job is to live with one of the expats—Commander Graham Gore, a naval officer lost in an Arctic expedition in the 1840s—and help him acclimate to the 21st century. As the narrator gets closer to Gore and learns more about the ministry’s project, she discovers some sinister secrets and must decide where her loyalties truly lie. I’m still processing this book, to be honest, but I think I might love it. Bradley writes beautifully, and her characters are complex and interesting (especially Gore, whom I adored!). The only thing I didn’t like was the denouement, which felt a bit rushed and obvious. But the novel manages to be thought-provoking about power, narratives, and identity, while still being an excellent story. I’ll definitely be reading this again at some point!

Sheila Simonson, Lady Elizabeth’s Comet

The titular Lady Elizabeth is a would-be astronomer tracking a comet across the night sky. At age 28, she’s also been the de facto head of her family since her father’s death more than a year ago. So when the heir to her father’s earldom, distant cousin Thomas Conway, finally takes possession of the family home, Elizabeth is wary and defensive toward the newcomer. But when she helps nurse him after a battlefield injury catches up with him, she finds her feelings changing. Complicating matters is her quasi-engagement to Tom’s friend Lord Bevis and her need to care for her twin 15-year-old sisters. While I don’t mind the occasional “wallpaper historical,” it is refreshing to read a Regency romance that actually feels authentic to the period! While Elizabeth has a unique-for-her-time interest, she’s not a 21st-century heroine in costume. I also enjoyed her witty first-person narration, which is unusual for this genre. The romance is quite lovely with some funny moments (and steamless, which is a bonus for me). I’d definitely recommend this one to fans of historical romance and will be seeking out more by the author!

Ngaio Marsh, Overture to Death

This Golden Age mystery, book #8 in the Roderick Alleyn series, has a classic setup: Seven people in a small English village decide to put on a play. One of the actors, a universally disliked spinster, is murdered in a shocking fashion on opening night – shot via a booby trap hidden in a piano. Complicating matters is that Miss Eleanor Prentice, the victim’s equally unpopular friend/rival, may have been the intended target. Suspects include the local squire, a pair of young lovers, the vicar, the village doctor, and a femme fatale. Fortunately, Inspector Alleyn is on hand to uncover adultery, blackmail, and murder. I generally enjoy Marsh’s mysteries, although I think her books get less interesting after the murder occurs. This one is true to form: The setup and character introductions are great, but once Alleyn arrives on the scene, the “plot” is basically just a bunch of suspect interviews. That said, I still enjoyed the book, and I’m pleased that I managed to solve the mystery before the culprit was revealed.