The Space Between

The Space Between by Diana Gabaldon

Gabaldon is appeasing her many Outlander fans with this short novella. This is about neither Claire nor Jamie. It is, instead about Laoghaire's daughter Joan, Jaime's other step daughter and Jaime's nephew Michael and their trip to Paris.

Michael has been working for his great uncle's wine distribution company, Fraser et Cie, in Paris. Shortly after the death of his wife, he returned to Scotland for his father's death and funeral. When he returns to Paris, he is asked to escort Joan to a convent in Paris where Joan is hoping to take her orders after being a novice for at least a year.

The whispers of Joan's father Jaime, cause a case of mistaken identity and intrigue since Joan's lack of French keeps her from clarifying that he was her step-father.

This was a fun, quick read and it keeps up the anticipation of the next novel due out soon as well as the Stars series Outlander that airs in August, I believe.

A Provencal Mystery

A Provencal Mystery by Ann Elwood

This is a historical novel combined with a mystery novel.

An American historian and professor researching for her tenure paper spends her days going through the historical records of a nearby convent in a small town in Provence, France.  Suddenly, the diary of a 17th century nun appears in her research material.  She is distracted from the research giving her the facts and figures of the inhabitant of the convent.  She tries to stay on task but is encouraged by a friend, a nun, to keep going with the new material.

First, an apparent murder occurs in the diary.  Second, an apparent murder occurs in the research library.  Our historian and her colleagues are the suspects.  Soon, it seems if she can solve the 17th century murder, she can solve the murder from now as well.

This was a really fun, fast read.  I highly recommend it.