Our latest First Impressions book, Philip Gray's Two Storm Wood, is a gritty and intense World War I mystery that makes for a compelling and educational read.

In Editor's Choice, we have Karen Joy Fowler's fascinating novel Booth, based on the strange history of infamous assassin John Wilkes Booth's theaterical family.

We also bring you notable March books, books set in France, a new Wordplay and much more.

Plus, check out our spring discount special below to start accessing all BookBrowse content for less than $2.50 per month.

Thanks for reading,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every 3-4 months. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.

"This is a compelling novel that combines historical fiction, suspense, romance, and social commentary, and has all the best elements of each. The story alternates between two timelines: the latter part of WWI and just after the war. Amy Vanneck's secret fiancé, Edward, has enlisted... Amy travels to France to try to recover his body after he goes missing in action. As she searches for his corpse amidst the horrors of the trenches, she uncovers the scene of a gruesome mass murder. Soon she is mired in an investigation, not knowing who to trust amongst the military on the scene. The depictions of the moral ambiguity of war and the reality of trench warfare are harrowing and realistic, and Amy's struggles are authentic for a woman of her time and class. The characters leap off the page to live in the imagination, and the writing is skillful and powerful as the suspense builds towards the final climax. Two Storm Wood is the best war novel I've read in a long time, and I highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction." - Rebecca H. (Bolton, CT)

"Not only is this great historical fiction, it is also a fascinating mystery/detective story... The bravery and dogged persistence of the Englishwoman trying to find her fiancé near where he was reported missing leads to the steady unwinding of the mystery of his ultimate fate. There are lots of twists and surprises along the way that enhance the enjoyment of this very entertaining and educational novel." - John A. (Austin, TX)

"I have never read anything by Philip Gray or much about WWI, but I would highly recommend this book. The writing, plot, character development are terrific... It would also be a good one for a book club discussion." - Joanne V. (Phoenix, AZ)

John Wilkes Booth is remembered as the actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. But his family may just be of greater interest. In an epic fictional sweep from 1822 to nearly the close of the century, Karen Joy Fowler surveys the Booth family's triumphs and tragedies.

Truth is stranger than fiction, the old saying goes. That's the case with the Booth family for sure. And the matters considered here, like racial equality, political divisions and mistrust of the government, are just as important in our own day, as Fowler remarks in her author's note... continued

Visit BookBrowse for more, including our full review and beyond the book article, "The Booth Family and Shakespeare in the 19th Century United States."

All visitors to BookBrowse can browse by genre, but most of our 100+ themed categories are only for members.

Our France category features historical fiction like Two Storm Wood, along with a wide variety of other books set in the distinctive European country's past, present or imagined future. For the next week, all visitors can browse this category for free.

We're celebrating the first days of spring with a special offer. Use coupon code SPRING22 to save 25% on an annual membership to BookBrowse, and you'll be able to enjoy BookBrowse's full content for less than $2.50 per month!

Offer valid for new members, to give a gift membership or to renew a membership that lapsed at least two months ago. Sorry, this coupon cannot be used to extend an existing membership.

On the BookBrowse website, we highlight notable books that are released each month. Our selected March books are now available for all to view.

In addition to current and past selections, members can access previews for all upcoming books, while non-members can access a limited number of previews.

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win the book of your choice or a 6-month membership to BookBrowse!

The answer to the last Wordplay: A R Stone G N M

Meaning: Originally, this expression had a negative connotation: a person who moves frequently pays a price by not having roots in any specific place, and is probably a wastrel. In modern parlance, the expression is still used for somebody who moves frequently and thus is perceived as avoiding responsibilities and cares but with less presumption that they are good-for-nothing... continued