The Frozen River - Ariel Lawhon

Hey book lovers! In this episode, I dive into Ariel Lawhon's historical mystery "The Frozen River," set in 1789 Maine and based on the real-life diary of Martha Ballard, a midwife who gets tangled up in a murder investigation.

What You'll Hear

• Why Amazon's algorithm knew exactly what to recommend to my historical mystery-loving self
• How Lawhon builds a compelling protagonist in Martha Ballard (even if she can be a bit too righteous sometimes!)
• My thoughts on why midwives make such fascinating detectives
• Why I wish the antagonists were smarter (seriously, give Martha a real challenge!)
• A deep dive into those unfair "fornication" laws that punished women while men got off scot-free
• My mixed feelings about that somewhat unsatisfying ending

Drink of the Episode

This week's drink is "The Midwife's Tonic" – a warming bourbon concoction with maple syrup, lemon, and singed rosemary that captures both the wintery New England setting and Martha's herbal knowledge. Don't drink? No worries! I've got a non-alcoholic version that's just as delicious.

Looking Ahead

Next episode will be a total vibe shift as I tackle "Just for the Summer" by Abby Jimenez – a cute, fun romantic comedy that'll be a nice palette cleanser after all that historical grimness!

Make sure to subscribe to Bestsellers & Brews wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And hey, if you're working on your own novel, remember that even published authors sometimes struggle with plotting and character development – we're all learning together!

Happy reading! 📚🍻

TS