REVIEW: The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies

 Synopsis

Can one house hold a lifetime of secrets?

Corfu, 1930

The moment Thirza Caruthers sets foot on Corfu, memories flood the scent of jasmine, the green shutters of her family’s home — and her brother Billy’s tragic disappearance years before.

Returning to the Greek house, high above clear blue waters, Thirza tries to escape by immersing herself in painting — and a passionate affair.

But as webs of love, envy, and betrayal tighten around the family, buried secrets surface.

Is it finally time to uncover the truth about Billy’s vanishing?

Format 432 pages, Paperback

Published April 24, 2025 by HarperCollins

ISBN 978008612047 (ISBN10: 0008612048)

About the Author

From the author's website:

I was lucky that my second novel The Tea-Planter’s Wife became a Sunday Times No.1, Kindle No.1, and Richard & Judy bestseller. Since then I’ve had further Sunday Times top 10s, three Richard & Judy Book Club picks, and become an international best seller charting in Italy, Norway, Israel and elsewhere

I was born in Malaysia but moved to the UK at the age of nine, going on to study fashion design, work in Tuscany as an au pair for an Italian countess, and live with a rock band in a commune in Suffolk.

A family tragedy changed everything, and I draw on the experience of loss in my writing, infusing love, loss, and danger with the seductive escapism of my locations. The sense of place, of history and of human nature is a heady mix in the novels.

Published in over 30 languages in more than 40 countries, I have written an epic three book series for my new publisher Harper Collins (my 8th, 9th, and 10th novels) starting with Daughters of War set in 1944 in France, The Hidden Palace in England, Malta and France, finishing with Night Train to Marrakech set in Morocco which became my third Richard and Judy Pick.

I spent many years living in a tiny 16th Century village in Northern Andalusia, Spain. Now I’m delighted to have settled close to my family in the South West of England with my husband, Richard, and along with our two enormous and very lovely Maine Coon cats.

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My Thoughts

Among all peoples, Greeks have dreamt life's dream most beautifully.

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I really enjoyed this one, even though the ending kept it from being a full five stars for me.

The novel unfolds across three timelines — August 1923, Spring 1930, and February 1931 — opening with writer Dulcie on Corfu during Italy's invasion of the island. In the chaos of the family fleeing to shelter, her young son Billy disappears and is never found. The loss is so devastating that Dulcie can't bring herself to return to the island, and the family leaves for good.

Years later, in Spring 1930, Dulcie's daughter (Billy's sister) goes back to Corfu alone to prepare the family home for their eventual return. But she finds herself often isolated instead, and the story follows her into a love affair, betrayal, and the lingering shadow of her brother's disappearance all those years ago.

Jefferies' writing pulled me in from the start. Her prose has a lovely, immersive quality, and I was completely invested in the characters — they felt layered and real, and the family relationships were rendered with a lot of emotional nuance. That's really where the book shines.

Five words: immersive, mysterious, atmospheric, implausible, layered

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My final word: Unfortunately, the final chapters didn't hold up to the rest of the novel for me. The storyline took a turn that felt too outrageous, and I found myself unable to suspend disbelief the way I had for the first three-quarters of the book. It was a disappointing note to end on after such a strong build-up.

Still, the strength of the writing and characters makes this a worthwhile read overall. Recommended, especially if you don't mind a slightly wobbly landing.

Warnings and Triggers:

Kidnapping, sexual situations

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

REVIEW: A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

 

Synopsis

A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law—a prosecutor and a madam—who team up to bring down notorious Mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York

Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City’s five largest organized crime families. Other prosectors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they’ve all focused on the crime syndicate’s traditional businesses—bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing—or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the Mob through its role in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can’t get Luciano alone.

Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all.

Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they’re trying to convict. It is this very alliance—of two women from vastly different worlds—that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen.

Format 390 pages, Hardcover
Published June 2, 2026 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593637937 (ISBN10: 0593637933)

About the Author(s)

Marie Benedict is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Daughter of Egypt, The Queens of Crime, The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and the novella, Agent 355. With Victoria Christopher Murray, she co-wrote the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian, the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies, and the Reese's Book Club Pick A Pair of Aces. With Courtney Sheinmel, she co-wrote the first in a middle grade historical adventure series called The Secrets of the Lovelace Academy.

Her books have been translated into thirty languages, and selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List.

Up next is her March 2, 2027 release, THE WITCH OF WALL STREET, about the richest woman of the Gilded Age, a self-made one with holdings that rivaled those of men like J.P. Morgan -- the brilliant and controversial Hetty Green whose legacy was erased by her fellow tycoons.

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Victoria Christopher Murray is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of more than 30 novels, including the New York Times Instant Best Sellers The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies. Both novels, Victoria co-wrote with Marie Benedict.

A native New Yorker, Victoria Christopher Murray attended Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University’s Stern Business School where she received her MBA in Marketing.

Victoria spent ten years in Corporate America before she tested her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria always dreamed of writing and in 1997, she pursued her dream. 

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My Thoughts

I became a fan of Victoria Christopher Murray after reading Harlem Rhapsody, and she has a real talent for bringing historical figures and eras to life. A Pair of Aces confirms that gift, this time in partnership with Marie Benedict, telling the story of the 1936 takedown of mobster Lucky Luciano with the help of infamous NY madam Polly Adler and Eunice Carter – the only female, and the only Black female, assistant DA in New York City in 1935.

Polly Adler was a diminutive, physically unremarkable woman who built an extraordinary life against incredible odds. Sent to America alone as a young girl, she worked through her teens to send money home before being introduced to prostitution – a field she came to "excel" in, building a brothel that young women vied to join. She was known for taking care of "her girls" and running a top-notch operation: lavish surroundings, clean and cultured women, a high-end experience. Digging into her real history after finishing the book, I learned her brothel entertained the likes of Walter Winchell and Milton Berle, along with mobster Dutch Schultz, who's also spotlighted in this novel.

That's the real Polly Adler. The authors appear to take some liberties connecting her directly to Eunice Carter, the first Black female assistant DA in New York, who was the one who first identified Luciano's ties to major prostitution rings and became essential to his downfall. The novel puts Polly at the center of that effort, feeding Eunice information and helping rally witnesses – though I'm not aware of any solid evidence that she played that direct a role. However, my eBook was an uncorrected proof without the authors' notes on their research, so I couldn't confirm how much is fact versus informed speculation, but it seems other historians have floated an Adler-Carter connection before.

Five words: inspiring, determined, admirable, heroic, solid

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Purchase the book

My final word: Fictionalized liberties aside, this is a story about two strong, wily, and brave women taking on the mob in a world stacked against them on every front. Benedict and Murray do an admirable job of breathing life into Polly Adler and Eunice Carter, building two heroines with shoulders that can bear the weight of this story. At a time when the mob were controlling so much of NYC, these two women were a force to be reckoned with. This work is a solid effort and worthy of a read for anyone who likes historical fiction.

Trigger warnings:

prostitution, rape, murder, drug use

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.