A lovely suspenseful mystery novel that blends the lives of past and present generations.  An entertaining and enjoyable read.

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THE VIEW FROM PRINCE STREET

Alexandria Series #2

Mary Ellen Taylor

Blog Tour Date:  Jan 5

Book Release Date:  Jan 5

Book Giveaway Contest:  Jan 5-12

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You are going to love revisiting Virginia with Mary Ellen Taylor (aka Mary Burton)--her second installment in the Alexandria series. Highly recommend the first book "At the Corner of King Street", and her other series: The Union Street Bakery.  Where you will always find something cooking. 

“Taylor’s complex tale spans three families over two centuries and includes a dose of ancient magic, but the story remains grounded in fascinating history and emotional turmoil that is intense yet subtle. An intelligent, heartwarming exploration of the powers of forgiveness, compassion, and new beginnings.”
—Kirkus Reviews 

“The second book in Taylor’s Alexandria series completes the story started in the first novel, and everything wraps up beautifully. Continuing characters from the Union Street Bakery series provides richer depth to the narrative. Themes of family, letting go of the past, and owning up to mistakes breathes life and emotion into the tale.”
—RT Book Reviews

The View From Prince Street

By:  Mary Ellen Taylor
Alexandria Series #2
ISBN:  9780425278260
Publisher: Penguin 
Publication Date: 1/5/2016
Format: Paperback

Read My Review 

 

Stretching from the 18th century to present day, THE VIEW FROM PRINCE STREET traces the intertwined histories of three Alexandria families. Taylor, author of At the Corner of King Street (a SIBA Spring 2015 Okra Pick) and The Union Street Bakery, draws once again on historic Alexandria, Virginia and its legends.  But this time, she trains her eye on the earliest days of the city, which were fraught with the specter of witches and family curses.

The binding of these three families is set in motion at the beginning of the novel, with the chilling arrival of Faith Shire at Patience Macdonald’s farmhouse in 1751. Soon after, a dangerous barter involving a child is arranged that will affect the clans for centuries to come.

Fast forward to present-day: after her sister’s death in a car accident, Rae McDonald’s teenage years were in turmoil.  Pregnant at sixteen, she found a loving couple to adopt her child—and then buried her grief under a heart of stone. Her sister’s best friend Lisa Smyth survived the crash, but never told the truth about it. As long-buried artifacts that link their family histories are unearthed, both women are forced to confront the secrets of the past. . . and take the first steps to a new future.

Throughout, one question arises: what boundaries will a mother cross to protect her child?  As the generations progress, each family will unearth the strange and surprising ties that bind them together—and the dark choices that led there.

About the Author

A southerner by birth, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state, Virginia, and its history is evident in the first of her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, The Union Street Bakery. Its protagonists, the McCrae family, own the establishment, part of Alexandria’s Old Town for more than 150 years. They returned in Sweet Expectations. In both instances their stories intertwine with those of the city and the nation, with mysteries rooted in the past. While the McCraes are not the focus of Mary Ellen’s latest books, the Alexandria Novels The View from Prince Street and At the Corner of King Street, she once again pulls past events into the present and sharing their impact on her characters and their lives.

Mary Ellen was born in Richmond and has spent most of her life there, but also lived in Alexandria for four years, which is when she fell in love with Old Town. She grew up in a family that embraced stories of all kinds, from a well-told anecdote to a good yarn or a tall tale. It may have been inevitable that Mary Ellen would embrace her storytelling heritage, walk away from her job and challenge herself to become a published author.

“I realized early on the tremendous power stories have to inspire laughter, love, sorrow and even fear. It didn’t matter if they were found in the pages of a book, spoken in hushed tones around a campfire, or shared at an old-fashioned family reunion. Stories created connections, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” says Mary Ellen.

In addition to writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen and she’s been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. She recently earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond’s Culinary Arts Program. “In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade of both cooking and writing before you can push the envelope and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.” Her two passions —writing and baking—merged for the first time in bakery, Mary Ellen manages to slip in some food and tips about baking.

Mary Ellen received her degree in English from Virginia’s Hollins University. After a decade of working in marketing and sales, she left to devote her time to writing. Today, in addition to her books as Mary Ellen Taylor, twenty-three of her romantic suspense novels and five novellas written as Mary Burton have been published and have earned spots on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. The latest, Be Afraid, has just been published.

When not digging for mysteries in Alexandria’s history or arranging murders, Mary is involved with Sisters in Crime’s Virginia chapter and Coordinators2inc, a lifetime adoption resource organization. In fact, Mary explores issues of adoption and family in all four books, an interest which stems from her own family. Her grandmother was adopted as was her daughter.

Mary Ellen and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their newly empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki. Read More

A special thank you to Penguin/Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Ellen Taylor returns following At The Corner of King Street (Alexandria #1) with a complex multi-generational mystery of the past THE VIEW FROM PRINCE STREET(Alexandria #2) rich in history; with three families crossing two centuries-- mystery, intrigue and some ancient magic to stir the pot.

As the locals read the weekly Lifestyle edition and the online version of the Old Town Alexandria paper, Dr. Rae McDonald is known to have a heart of stone, however, some think she is a matchmaker, trying to help her clients find happiness.

In fact, Rae knows sadness, all too well. It had nearly destroyed her at age sixteen when her old sister had died, and thereafter she had made reckless choices that resulted in a pregnancy. She gave the baby boy away to another mother for adoption. The pain and the loss were crushing. Since that day she knew her survival depended suppressing her feelings. Her detachment had served her well. She can remove herself from her client’s storms, problems, and her own emotions.

We meet up with the MaCrae’s we met in book one—Addie Morgan and Margaret McCrae, owners of Shire Architectural --the contractors who removed her stones six weeks ago. Addie is raising her niece, Carrie, eight weeks old. Addie was saving her family’s business for the brink of ruin. Margaret worked full time with the salvage company but still maintained close ties to the archeology center. She had a PhD in History and was a well- qualified expert in local history, especially Alexandria.

They had read about Rae, the trained clinical psychologist in the paper. They had found a bottle. A witch bottle. An incredible find. Protection spells. They were created hundreds of years ago by people who feared black magic. They were designed to ward off a witch’s spells and evil curses. Most were typically made of wine bottles filled with all kinds of sharp objects. (to cut or slice into the magic). Curses? A witch.

One of the bottles they found belonged to Addie’s family. Sarah Shire Goodwin buried that one. Patience McDonald buried the one they found on Rae’s property and Imogen Smyth made the one they found on the Prince Street Property. All three women lived in Alexandria around 1750.

As the book flashes back from the eighteenth century to the present we find the connections of three Alexandria families. At the beginning of the novel, it opens with a letter in 1751. A bind between these three families. A dangerous barter.

Rae's sister’s best friend Lisa Smyth survived the crash, but never told the truth about it. As long-buried artifacts that link their family histories are unearthed, both women are forced to confront the secrets of the past, before they can have a future.

Secrets. Choices.  A Buried past.

As the book moves along, both Rae and Lisa are at a crossroads in their lives. The ties that bind. Face the past in order to have a future.

“Past, Present, and Future are links in a chain. For a chain to be strong you must have all the links. Not the ones you select. “A thought provoking question: Can you live in the now without acknowledging the problems of the past?

Ultimately, an emotional Heartwarming novel of motherhood, forgiveness, letting go of the past, and second chances. As always you can count on Mary Ellen Taylor to deliver a bold life lesson, a strong takeaway message, and some savory recipes. This time Rachel at The Union Street Bakery offers her Lemon Polenta Cookies and Never Too Much Chocolate Chip Cookies.

An excellent choice for book clubs or further reading group discussions with questions included. If you have not read The Union Street Bakery series, highly recommend!

Mary Ellen Taylor returns following her heartwarming popular Union Street Bakery Series with AT THE CORNER OF KING STREET with the first in the Alexandria Series---a contemporary, poignant story of a woman struggling with her past and the future. As always, love her front covers—drawing you into the beautiful settings.

Taylor knows how to weave a southern story with layers of emotion, history, and human dynamics, as well as delivering riveting crime thrillers under Mary Burton. You have to love an author who can juggle a number of genres, while pulling out "all the stops" across many genres.

Adele “Addie” Morgan did not have a great childhood and finally finds her happiness at a vineyard and the love of a good man, Scott, the owner. She loves her new life, her job, and she of all people, deserves to find happiness.

However, Addie’s life is uprooted when she is called to return home to help the family in Alexandria, Virginia —a life and a past should would rather forget. Unfortunately a painful family past--her mother and sister suffer from a mental illness, bipolar.

Addie has spent the last seven years trying to escape this curse, after an accident. Addie is torn with demands from Aunt Grace and sister, Janet. From her sister’s pregnancy, baby, ex-husband, meds, drama, mental illness, ups and downs, and a failing family business--plus Scott knows nothing about her past, or family.

Torn between family, loyalty, love, history, and the family's disturbing mental illness-- the demands and tolls, roller-coaster; dealing with the heart breaking disease and trying to escape this drama-filled life.

Taylor captures the emotions of the heart from family tragedy to joy, with beautiful writing from talented Southern storyteller—with intriguing history and mystery. We also hear from familiar characters of the Union Street Bakery series, which was delightful. If you have not read the Union Bakery Series, highly recommend.

Cannot wait for the next book in the Alexandria Series: The View from Prince Street, Coming Jan 5, 2016. (Fortunate to receive an ARC and dying to jump ahead to read)!

One of my favorite authors, both as Mary Ellen Taylor(women’s fiction) and Mary Burton (crime, mystery, thriller). She has a rare talent --loving her writing style!