In First Impressions this week, our readers review The Fields by Erin Young, a compelling, tough-to-crack whodunit that unfolds in the cornfields of rural Iowa.

We're also revisiting a book club discussion from last year of another mystery with a strong sense of place, the seaside-set Jane Harper novel The Survivors, now available in paperback.

Another Churchill biography? Hear us out. Geoffrey Wheatcroft's Churchill's Shadow covers new ground and gives new answers to long-asked questions about this famous historical figure — read our Editor's Choice review to learn more.

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.

"Erin Young's debut novel The Fields is a fast-paced and timely mystery. Set in Black Hawk County, Iowa, the story begins with the discovery of a dead body in a cornfield...on a family-run farm. It's one of the few in the area not connected to the Big Agriculture giants. Sergeant Riley Fisher is surprised to find that she recognizes the dead girl as a friend from her high school years. When more victims turn up, the police try to determine whether they're all related...I loved the characters in the story, especially Riley. She reminds me a bit of Chief Kate Burkholder from Linda Castillo's mystery novels set in Amish country...This is the first in a planned series, and I cannot wait to read the future installments!" - Rebecca K. (Chicagoland)

"The mystery genre is my favorite and I must've read a million mystery books. I've learned to love a good, tangled yarn that, in the end, plays me for a fool. This book surprised me and that surprised me. I also love a good serial killer, a depraved serial killer (is there any other kind?) and The Fields checked that box as well. We've got a flawed detective (think Harry Hole, Jo Nesbo's protagonist, as the gold standard) and a backstory concerning said detective that keeps rearing its ugly head. We have a lot of intriguing things in play, all set in the cornfields of Iowa, written by an English author, which is a mystery in itself... Kudos to Erin Young for an absorbing story that is well written and keeps you guessing. I look forward to her next book with Sergeant Riley Fisher as the protagonist." - Judy K. (Montgomery, TX)

"Book clubs will want to talk about the problems in the Midwest and about experimentation in our crops while also touching on serial killers. Excellent book for those cold winter nights." - Peggy K. (San Marcos, CA)

Coming home dredges up deeply buried secrets in The Survivors, a thrilling mystery by New York Times bestselling author Jane Harper.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.

"Jane Harper is a conjurer, keeping the plot suspenseful...I loved the way the puzzle all fit together, leaving me wanting to read 'just one more chapter' before I turned out the light!" - Mary Alice

"I have read all of Jane Harper's books and am definitely a fan. The Survivors did not disappoint and is perhaps my favorite. Perhaps it is the change of venue from scorching desert to a seaside community, which evokes the perfect way Harper creates a sense of place." - paulak

"I enjoyed my first Jane Harper book. I’ll definitely read another. The character and setting development kept me reading...I recommend this book and I think it would be a great book club choice!" - cindyb

The discussion of The Survivors took place last winter, so the forum is now closed for new posts, but you can read through all the comments on 28 topics, or explore more about the book, via the links below.

About the Book / See Discussion

Another book about Winston Churchill? Even with the astronomical number of titles written about the man from every conceivable angle — both pro and con — Geoffrey Wheatcroft miraculously finds new and compelling elements of Churchill's life to engage readers in Churchill's Shadow: The Life and Afterlife of Winston Churchill.

Not a conventional biography in any sense, Churchill's Shadow is rather an assortment of episodes in Churchill's life that reveal not only his actions, attitudes and philosophy, but also how he was viewed by his contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic. As the word "shadow" in the title indicates, there is an ambivalence surrounding Churchill's impact, and it is this "history of opinions" that Wheatcroft elegantly assembles for the reader. One of the most famous men in British history, his celebrity has ballooned even larger after his death, as Wheatcroft admits early on that "Churchill's posthumous life has become a far more remarkable phenomenon." He explores the prime minister's long shadow with a nonpartisan narrative that elevates and indicts in turn, encouraging readers to judge Churchill for themselves.

There is a multitude of questions that still dog Churchill today, which gallons of ink have been spilled trying to answer. Was he a great politician? Was he that magnificent of a writer? Did he really foresee before anyone else the ominous threat of Hitler and the Nazi Party? Wheatcroft analyzes these questions, providing nuanced answers...

Countless movies about Winston Churchill have been made in the decades since World War II, with different actors playing the starring role to varying degrees of success. What are some of the most — and least — memorable of these cinematic depictions, and what effect did these films have in perpetuating the Churchill legend?

As Geoffrey Wheatcroft notes in his book Churchill's Shadow, movie and television adaptations of Churchill's years as war prime minister run the gamut in both quality and historical accuracy. Indeed, not every actor chosen to play the enigmatic Winston liked the man, the best example being the A-list English actor Richard Burton. For the 1974 BBC television series The Gathering Storm, Burton told a New York Times reporter that "to play Churchill is to hate him."

Love him or hate him, however, Winston Churchill is a favorite go-to for filmmakers and television writers...

Review and article by Peggy Kurkowski

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Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a 6-month membership to BookBrowse.

The answer to the last Wordplay: L's G T Show O T R

Meaning: Let's get moving (with an undertone of stop wasting time)

The Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings says this expression originated in the world of traveling theater productions and was in common use by the 1930s, having originated around 1910...