
I Must Betray You

Serving the communities of Palisades and Sparkill, NY
If you are a fan of Jane Austen and enjoy murder mysteries, this title by Claudia Gray will be of interest. Several of her characters have married, and are guests at a house party given by Emma (Woodhouse) Knightly and her husband, George Knightly. The first couple attending is Elizabeth (Bennett) Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy, along with their son, Jonathan. Next is Emma’s cousin Colonel Christopher Brandon and his wife, Marianne; Captain Frederick and Anne Wentworth; and finally Edmund and Fanny Bertram. Rounding out the party is Miss Juliet Tilney, the daughter of a friend of Emma’s, and about the same age as Jonathan Darcy – Emma clearly is playing a bit at matchmaking.
Enter Mr. Wickham’s character, a dastardly schemer who delights in cheating people out of their money, and who has had dealings with several of the characters, much to their dismay. He just happens by on a horribly rainy night, and winds up yet another guest at the manor, but an uninvited and unwanted one. When he is found murdered after a few days at the Knightly’s Donwell Abbey, Jonathan and Juliet decide to investigate to find the murderer. Suffice it to say that since I have only read Pride and Prejudice, I had a very hard time keeping all the couples straight. I think you have to be a well-read fan of the author’s to keep up with all the drama…
What do you do when your newlywed husband suddenly disappears on your honeymoon? Ariel Pryce wakes up one morning in Lisbon, Portugal, to find her husband John missing — no note, phone call or text, and she can’t reach him on his cell phone. She is sure that something horrible has happened, and after quizzing the hotel employees, her next stop is the local police station. The two detectives she meets with are very sceptical, but as time goes on, agree to take her seriously. especially when Ariel receives a ransom call. Pavone weaves a solid story, and the reader is left wondering exactly what happened, especially the further one delves into the novel. Recommended for those who enjoy a good mystery.
This book is a great aid for anyone who is looking for open-ended art projects for children. It covers all kinds of materials: crayons, paint, charcoal, paper scraps, felt, beads and building materials like toothpicks and blocks. My favorite was a painting project that uses cups and paper towel rolls to make circular designs. I enjoyed this quote from an educator: “Children need what we rarely give them in school: time for messing about.” Rachelle Doorley offers simple but satisfying prompts to encourage creativity and imagination.