Review: Blood Roses by Douglas Jackson

Synopsis: As the Nazis roll into Warsaw, a serial killer is unleashed…

September 1939. A city ruled by fear. A population brutalized by restrictions and reprisals. Amid the devastation, another hunter begins to prowl. What are a few more deaths amid scores of daily executions?

Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance.

When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken?

~ ~ ~

My initial thoughts upon immediately finishing this book were that it was:

• well written
• evocative
• engaging
• great read
• start of a thrilling new series
• and I was left wanting more

This thriller is set at the time of the Invasion of Poland by German, Russian and Slovak forces (1 September 1939 - 5 October 1939). Polish forces were stretched thinly along defensive lines, and supply lines were poorly protected. Although the Polish military had prepared for conflict, the civilian population remained largely unprepared. The German invasion saw atrocities committed against Polish men, women and children. The German forces (both SS and the regular Wehrmacht) murdered tens of thousands of Polish civilians.  The Leibstandarte SS were notorious throughout the campaign for burning villages and committing atrocities in numerous Polish towns, including massacres. A campaign of ethnic cleansing was organized by multiple elements of the German government, resulting in tens of thousands of Polish civilians being shot at 760 mass execution sites by the Einsatzgruppen.

On October 30, 1939, Higher SS and Police Leader in General Government Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger ordered the mobilization of the pre-war Polish police into the service of the German authorities. The policemen were to report for duty or face severe punishment. The main reason for the restoration of the Polish police was the inability to maintain order under wartime conditions, the lack of knowledge of the Polish language by German policemen, as well as the undecided fate of the occupied Polish lands, the formation of the so-called residual state, Reststaat, was still under consideration.  The police was finally formed on December 17, 1939, by order of Governor General Hans Frank.

Into this turmoil falls Jan Kalisz - a patriotic soldier and police officer of the pre-war Polish Police Force. Wounded in action against the Germans, Kalisz is visited in hospital, in secret, and is made an offer - one he cannot really refuse - and one that must remain secret from all, including work colleagues and his family. Thus Kalisz leads a double life - as a collaborating police officer and a supporter of the fledgling Polish resistance.

Investigating a series of (at first) seemingly unconnected murders, Kalisz is brought into the fold of the Germans and is eventually paired with the lawyer, Ziegler. However, Kalisz soon comes to the realisation that solving the mystery of the serial killer known as The Artist may cost him both personally and professionally.

There is a cadre of writers who set their protagonist in these same times - Furst, Kerr, Gardner - and Jackson slots in nicely. Suffice to say, this first in a series does not disappoint. Highly Recommended.

Next in the series:

• Blood Uprising
• Blood Vengeance
• Blood Enemy

Review: Bury The Lead by Hilton & Renzetti

Synopsis: A big-city journalist joins the staff of a small-town paper in cottage country and finds a community full of secrets … and murder.

Cat Conway has recently returned to Port Ellis to work as a reporter at the Quill & Packet . She’s fled the tattered remains of her high-profile career and bad divorce for the holiday town of her childhood, famous for its butter tarts, theatre, and a century-old feud. One of Cat’s first assignments is to interview legendary actor Eliot Fraser, the lead in the theatre’s season opener of Inherit the Wind . When Eliot ends up dead onstage on opening night, the curtain rises on the sleepy town’s secrets. The suspects include the actor whose career Eliot ruined, the ex-wife he betrayed, the women he abused, and even the baker he wronged.

With the attention of the world on Port Ellis, this story could be Cat’s chance to restore her reputation. But the police think she’s a suspect, and the murderer wants to kill the story―and her too. Can Cat solve the mystery before she loses her job or becomes the next victim of a killer with a theatrical bent for vengeance?

~ ~ ~

"The whole town was like a giant murder mystery game, 

except with real weapons, and real blood."

The murder of the lead actor in a local production sets local tongues wagging as the past intrudes on the present - much to the chagrin of those involved.  And for one, murder is seen as the best way to keep the past (dead and) buried. 

After a slow start, things finally start to pick up once the investigation into the murder, by Cat and the rest of the local paper's editorial team, gets under way.

There is the proverbial cast of characters - from the local towns' people to the actors themselves - all with links to the dead man.  The narrative is nicely paced with character development established enough with the potential for further exploration in future books.

All in all an enjoyable read and the potential start of a new series ...

Review: Forgive Me by Joy Ellis

This story is about a suicide that is attended by a pair of police officers. They are confronted by a suicide note asking for forgiveness.

The remarks of the leading female officer - PC Yvonne Collins - is that there is something nasty or suspicious about the dead man, identified as Arthur Sims. However, the younger male officer - PC Jamie Smith - thinks otherwise. 

The dead man’s neighbors and acquaintances said that he was a good man, but the senior officer continues with her doubts. 

The younger officer takes it upon himself to investigate the man and his past. As he digs deeper - the mystery comes full circle with a plot twist that will delight (??) the reader.

This short story is my first from book by Joy Ellis that I have read - however, she is now on my radar!

Review: For The Want Of Silver by Michael E Wills

Synopsis: A novel based on the true story of a Viking raider who, over 30 years, acquired a fortune in English silver.

In the churchyard of the village of Orkesta, just north of the city of Stockholm, there are two eleventh century rune stones. One of them, in a few brief words, tells the world of the extraordinary achievements of Ulf of Borresta, who lived nearby. During a long career as a Viking raider, he became extremely rich on the proceeds of extortion: Danegeld. The carved runes mention the names of real Norse historical figures with whom he ravaged the English countryside. These names can be dated and the vicious raids and bloody battles where the Danegelds were won, identified.

~ ~ ~

Historical fiction account of Ulf of Borresta, a real historical viking who "lived and fought to satisfy the want of silver". We begin with the aged Ulf reflecting on his youth and the events that lead him to where he currently is.

The narration covers Ulf's youth and his adventures as part of the armies invading England in the 10th century.

Much more can be read about Ulf here @ Wikipedia

This for me was a quick and easy read, which I personally thought was perfect for a young adult reading market. It is a stand alone read - and was was pleasing to see an "unknown" historical figure being given a new lease on life.

Review: Women of the Irish Rising by Michael Hogan

Synopsis: This is the story of the women who put their lives on the line for Irish freedom. They were not only the nurses, cooks, and couriers, but also gunrunners, sharpshooters, and organizers. Many who barely received mention in mainstream histories are fully revealed here both in their own words and by those who witnessed their incredible courage and leadership.

Over 250 women took part in the Irish Rising, more than 70 were imprisoned, and one was sentenced to death by the British. The struggle was initially betrayed by a conservative government which compromised their rights to equality, but women were finally vindicated in recent years.

Now the fight for distributive justice and the unity of the entire nation, original goals of the Easter Rising, have passed to the present generation.

~ ~ ~

This is exactly what it sets out to be - an easy to follow account of the women who were participants - combatants, auxiliaries, medics - in the events of the East Rising in Ireland in 1916. Hogan links these women directly with the events of the Rising as they played out. These women were active in their roles not just voices of support. And it should be noted that out of all the male leaders, it was only De Valera who refused to have women in his contingent.

The Easter Rising was an Irish republican insurrection against British government in Ireland, which began on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, in Dublin. The uprising was planned to be nationwide in scope, but a series of mishaps led to its being confined to Dublin alone - the British had discovered the plans, leaders were arrested and planned action was called off. Following a forces surrender, Pearse and 14 other leaders of the rebellion were court-martialed and executed by British authorities in the weeks that followed. Though the uprising itself had been unpopular with most of the Irish people, these executions excited a wave of revulsion against the British authorities and turned the dead republican leaders into martyred heroes.

Of the 250 or so women who participated, 79 received sentences of imprisonment - and some of deportation.  Only one - Constance Markiewicz - received a court marital and death penalty (later commuted to imprisonment). The first fatality of the Irish Rising was a nurse - Margaret Keogh. And it was nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell who, under constant fire from the British, delivered the order to surrender to the Volunteers.

Of the women included by Hogan, some of the roles consisted of: gun-running, financial support, medical support, communications, military combatants, and training. The women in the 1916 Rising represented a cross-section of Irish society - single and married, from different religious denominations and social strata, and they included an actress, nurses, a doctor, a noblewoman, shop-assistants, seamstresses, feminists and pacifists.

The majority of the women were supporters and / or actively involved in the suffrage movement and of Cumann na mBan (Women's Guard), or were themselves members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood or the Irish Civilian Army.

Many documented their experiences during the Rising and beyond, and continued to be active in both the womens' suffrage movement and the struggle for a free Ireland. Notwithstanding their most active roles in the Rising, womens' rights were largely forgotten (despite promises to the contrary contained in the Proclamation). Their roles were severely restricted under Eamon de Valera (who as noted above, refused to have them in his contingent).

These women were deserving of more than just a mere footnote in the history books, and Hogan concludes with a further discussion on womens' rights, and the meaning of the Rising and the role of women which was - and still is - only imperfectly understood.

A valuable resource for further study and research for those with a deep interest in their particular period of history. Highly recommended reading - and a great addition to my own personal library.

Review: Fool by Peter K Andersson

Synopsis: The first biography of Henry VIII’s court fool William Somer, a legendary entertainer and one of the most intriguing figures of the Tudor age.

In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure―a gaunt and morose-looking man with a shaved head and, in one case, a monkey on his shoulder. This is William or "Will" Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who reportedly could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours with him, often alone. Was Somer an “artificial fool,” a cunning comic who could speak freely in front of the king, or a “natural fool,” someone with intellectual disabilities, like many other members of the profession? And what role did he play in the tumultuous and violent Tudor era? Fool is the first biography of Somer―and perhaps the first of a Renaissance fool.

After his death, Somer disappeared behind his legend, and historians struggled to separate myth from reality. Unearthing as many facts as possible, Peter K. Andersson pieces together the fullest picture yet of an enigmatic and unusual man with a very strange job. Somer’s story provides new insights into how fools lived and what exactly they did for a living, how monarchs and courtiers related to commoners and people with disabilities, and whether aspects of the Renaissance fool live on in the modern comedian. But most of all, we learn how a commoner without property or education managed to become the court’s chief mascot and a continuous presence at the center of Tudor power from the 1530s to the reign of Elizabeth I.

Looking beyond stereotypes of the man in motley, Fool reveals a little-known world, surprising and disturbing, when comedy was something crueler and more unpleasant than we like to think.

~ ~ ~

A strictly academic work that is neither a standard nor chronological biography on this rather enigmatic character from Tudor history.

With the use of contemporaneous sources and comparisons outside of the Tudor court, Andersson explores to what extent was the fool a servant or a courtier. Andersson also acknowledges that there is too little information on the actual man - Will Somer - for the reader to gain any real insight into him - what we know is based upon scant administration records of the Tudor period.

I came into this wanting to know more, but came away no closer to finding any real substance to the real man. I have given it three stars are this looks to be the first - for me anyway - real attempt to put some flesh on the bones of an elusive historical person. However, for my mind, this particular work is more of an exploration into the perception and the role of the fool and comedy during the early renaissance period.

Definitely one for those with an interest in the Tudor and Elizabethan courts.

Review: Showbiz Cakes & Deadly Slices by Amber Crewes

Synopsis: This is a short prequel that introduces the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery series.

Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood broken but with a burning desire to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery.

~ ~ ~

This is the story - aspiring actress Meghan is passing around cakes at the studio where she worked - a big star is murdered and she, of course, becomes the prime suspect. Meghan and her best friend Karen investigate and the mystery is solved. As a result, Meghan decides Hollywood isn't at all for her and plans on leaving to start her bakery career. Best friend and neighbour Karen suggests ... Sandy Bay.

Nice set up for the fourteen books that make up this series.

Review: Donuts & Disaster by Amber Crewes

Synopsis: Meghan Truman’s relationship with her assistant is severely tested when she becomes prideful over a donut recipe she’s introduced to Truly Sweet’s menu. Matters are further worsened when a distant relative of this assistant, with selfish intentions and bad manners, is found dead in the town center.The local handyman is arrested and put in jail when several witnesses confirm they saw him having an altercation with the murdered victim. Handsome detective Irvin and Meghan believe he’s innocent but the evidence against him is too damning to overlook.

Will Meghan’s attempt to give her assistant a second chance at restoring their relationship backfire or will a determination not to harbor unforgiveness in her heart lead her to the true murderer?

~ ~ ~

Okay - so as this is number four in the Sandy Bay cosy series of fourteen, a little background.

Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery.

It was not hard to pick up four books in as the backstory is mentioned. Not a particularly labourious read - a nice way to while away a few hours in the sun.

Review: Chevauchee by Ian Cooper

Synopsis: A chevauchée is nothing more than a raid, designed to punish as much as for plunder. Sir Thomas has seen it all, and lived to tell the tale. The withered old man was a vigorous knight and a pillar of the community, with his wife and sons gone before him. Sir Thomas Jolly is on his deathbed. Father Hardie is there at his side, to give him the last rites, to offer comfort and solace and to listen, as Thomas opens up about his feelings, possibly for the first time in many years. A short story of The Hundred Years War.

~ ~ ~

This is a brief story of a young man's initiation into the harsh realities of war (in Nantes), with Sir Thomas Jolly recounting events on his deathbed to one Father Hardie, who is present to give him the last rights.

A fair story with a rather abrupt ending.

Review: Caledonii - Birth of a Celtic Nation by Ian Hall

Synopsis: A 10,000 word prequel to the Caledonii: Birth of a Celtic Nation series.

It is 69AD, and the Romans have been lords of the southern part of Britain for over twenty years. Knowing their eyes are forever northward, the Brigante King Venutius decides to send two of his young sons north to safety.

Sewell, a northern druid, is sent on the mission to locate the boys, then get them safe to his homeland in the Caledonii nation.

It is a dangerous journey through hostile lands, and there are many who would stand in his way. He cannot fail.

~~ ~

The prequel to the "Caledonii" series is set in the time just after Venutius' break with the warrior-queen Cartimandua - 69AD.

"There was danger in the land ... the ominous seepage of the foreign influence .." - Rome! Fearing the encroachment of the Romans, Venutius decides to send his young sons north, with the Druid Sewell, to safety.

Not having read any in the series, there was no preconceptions. It was a fair short "pursuit" story. Will I follow up with the series - probably not.

Review: The Rescue by Steven McKay

Synopsis: Yorkshire, 1325 AD

“Your brother ain’t here lass,” the man spat, stepping towards her. “And this time you are going for a swim.”

There was a snap and a shocking blur of motion as an arrow tore from the thick summer foliage behind the girl and hit the approaching man’s thigh. The missile buried itself in the muscle so hard that it knocked him off his feet and he screamed in agony as the excited dogs began barking and straining at the ropes that tethered them to the cart. In contrast, the great brown bear in the cage looked on in silence.

“My brother is here, lad,” Marjorie hissed, eyes moving from the fallen man to his stunned companions. “And so are his friends.”

“The Rescue” is part of the 100,000+ selling Forest Lord series.

~ ~ ~

A short tale that forms part of McKay's "Forest Lord" series - and a familiarity with the series is always recommended when an author throws out something extra.

This tale features Matilda Hood (wife of Robin) and Marjorie (sister of Robin) as they get into a scrape that leads to ..... the rescue.

Enjoyable diversion.

Review: Letitia Coyne Quartet

Britannia (Book I)

Maia and her step-brother Cilo were raised in an opulent but isolated villa in the Seine Valley. At fifteen Cilo escaped to the army in Britannia, leaving Maia alone and afraid.

Lucius, Luc, is commander of an auxiliary cavalry unit of Legio XX, Valeria Victrix. The son of a Caledonian mercenary who joined Rome, he and his four brothers are soldiers of renowned ability and bravery. At twenty-five he has served ten years, has another fifteen to serve, and has had enough of killing. Exhausted and battle fatigued after the brutal AD77 Cambrian campaign, he has been weighing up his chances of survival as a deserter.

As a matter of convenience, Maia is married off to her stepbrother, and once again abandoned when he returns to his post. Seizing her one chance to escape, she joins an exclusive group of travelling prostitutes on their way to Britannia. With them, she finds herself moving through a complex web of lies and deceptions, where everyone knows more than they will say and everyone she meets has their own agenda.

If she can trust Lucius, he will take her to her husband. But everything she knows about the world will change -- if she can survive the journey.

Hispania (Book II)

Although the siege of Numantia in 133BC marked the end of organized resistance to Rome, the Celtiberian tribes of northern Spain maintained their heritage of warrior elites -- and their hatred of Rome.They accepted the comforts, infrastructure and the benefits of Empire, while remaining independent tribal city-states under the control of noble families.

Marella was the daughter of one such family.  Falsely accused by a vile and corrupt Druidic high priest, she is set to be executed. Her rescuer is Marcus, a Roman deserter from Britannia who has made his home in the Gallego valley above Caesaraugusta.

Finding no purpose in the life he leads, bored and frustrated, he relishes the chance to face the challenges that come with saving the life of this young noblewoman. Her best chance of survival lies in travelling across the province to Numantia, and her only chance of survival is to do that with Marc.

Somehow they must stay ahead of High Priest Leucetius and the priests of a Romanised and corrupted temple; Marella's noble brother Taran and his standing army; and the army of Rome itself.

Away from the capital, the Roman world was a complex, sometimes bloody, blend and clash of cultures. The people were not stereotypical Roman ladies and gents consumed by the politics of Caesar's court. Hispania is a glimpse into the less well known lives of Rome.

Caledonia (Book III)

By AD83 the Romans in Caledonia held a line of glen-blocking forts, (now known as the Gask Ridge forts, from Glasgow to Perth) and the three active legions, XXth, IXth and IInd, were split along this defensive line.

Calgacus was one of a number of first century Pictish barons -- part of a landed class in northern Celt society with access to slaves, money, men and arms. He fixed on the plan to unify the Caledonian Celtic tribes against Rome, beginning with the tribes of the Forth-Clyde area. After a crushing defeat at a fort along the Roman line, Calgacus tried to bring together all the Pictish tribes and rallied an army of perhaps sixty thousand men (and women) for the Battle of Mons Graupius.

Once Calgacus' lover, Eirbrin has been sent north to her family lands on the Gleann Mor above Inbhir Nis. Fanatical dedication to the fight to free Caledonia from Rome has been her only way to deal with the deep and disabling shames of her past. When she meets Antony she believes she has found a mystic, a man of power who can help her to overcome the demons of guilt and shame.

He is a spy, a Natione -- native Britons conscripted to the Roman auxiliary army -- used extensively by Agricola in the Caledonian wars where the Celt's guerrilla tactics and harsh terrain made Roman success near to impossible. Everything about him should warn Brin of his deception, but her longing to atone, her need to be free of shame, and her growing desire for him allow her to deny or justify any doubts that come.

To him, she should be no more than an enemy, and with her ties to the leader of the Picts, a formidable source of information. But as they move through the Caledonian midlands toward the gathering battle, her beauty and courage, her innocence and the unfaltering faith she places in him draw him into an impossible situation.

Trapped between an irresistible love and an immovable duty, he must find a way to untangle his web of lies, or return to a life of service, to live or die alone.

Petra (Book IV)

Aya grew as a filthy scavenger, trailing the Bedouin caravans that crossed the Nafud wastes and the Rub’ al Khali. Bought from the arena as a young man, his new life as Sethos, the adopted son of a wealthy Roman merchant, is stained by the stigma of his past.

Jaida and her sisters were raised in luxurious slavery, destined to be the virgin oracles of Isis at provincial temples throughout the empire. When the fall of a dice brings the girls’ future into question, it is Seth who must define freedom and slavery, life or liberty – for himself and for them.  He has money, strength and cunning, and she has no more than her faith.

The gods are fickle. When they move among men, they all have their own pieces in play, some fuelled by anger, greed and vengeance.

But Isis is Queen of Heaven - Goddess of ten thousand names; she is every goddess. For every god of stone and wood, she is their mother, their sister, their lover and their nemesis. And somewhere she will have an accounting....

~ ~ ~

Britannia: Not for me - confusing and disjointed narrative. Three chapters in and absolutely no interest at all in pursuing.

Hispania: Gave this author another go - unfortunately more bland characters and incredulous storytelling put paid to further reading.

Attempted again with the remaining two books - same plotline, different timeline and place: mysterious man, strong but naive heroine, brutal society. To give them their due, the covers are quite nice,

I have no interest in pursuing anything further from this author.

Review: The Granddaughters of Edward III by Kathryn Warner

Synopsis: Edward III may be known for his restoration of English kingly authority after the disastrous and mysterious fall of his father, Edward II, and eventual demise of his mother, Queen Isabella. It was Edward III who arguably put England on the map as a military might. This show of power and strength was not simply through developments in government, success in warfare or the establishment of the Order of the Garter, which fused ideals of chivalry and national identity to form camaraderie between king and peerage. The expansion of England as a formidable European powerhouse was also achieved through the traditional lines of political marriages, particularly those of the king of England’s own granddaughters.

This is a joint biography of nine of those women who lived between 1355 and 1440, and their dramatic, turbulent lives. One was queen of Portugal and was the mother of the Illustrious Generation; one married into the family of her parents' deadly enemies and became queen of Castile; one became pregnant by the king of England's half-brother while married to someone else, and her third husband was imprisoned for marrying her without permission; one was widowed at about 24 when her husband was summarily beheaded by a mob, and some years later bore an illegitimate daughter to an earl; one saw her marriage annulled so that her husband could marry a Bohemian lady-in-waiting; one was born illegitimate, had sixteen children, and was the grandmother of two kings of England.

~ ~ ~

An accessible history of the family of King Edward III of England.

At a mere 144 pages of biographical content, this book will provide a basic introduction to not only the granddaughters of Edward III and his queen, Philippa of Hainault, but also of their children and other grandchildren.

Warner provides a basic Who's Who and family trees at the start, and ends with the descendants of the featured granddaughters, and approx 50 pages of notes.

If this is your particular era of study, Warner's book will provide a handy introductory resource for the lineage and general biographical study of Edward's offspring. For those wanting a bit more substance to those featured granddaughters, you will find it lacking here.

read in 2023

Review: The Cecils by David Lee

Synopsis: The Cecils: The Dynasty and Legacy of Lord Burghley looks at the lives of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I’s Chief Minister and Secretary of State and that of his son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury.

Lord Burghley served three Tudor Monarchs in an unparalleled rise to power during the reign of Elizabeth I and his political influence on state matters, his remarkable close bond to the queen, and the self-sacrifice in his service to the state and crown, are closely examined in this unprecedented work. The life and career of William’s youngest son Robert, Earl of Salisbury, who also became Elizabeth’s Chief Minister as heir to his father’s political mantle, will also be discussed.

Robert served his queen equally to, if not more ruthlessly than his father. His powerful position remained intact during the transition of the crown from the House of Tudor to the House of Stuart upon Elizabeth’s death in 1603. Robert’s loyalties and his relationship with his father remain a topic of discussion and debate. This book will also explore the transition of power from one Cecil to another, and how both men created a powerful dynasty and legacy that continues to fascinate readers today.

The book is based on a close examination of William and Robert Cecil’s correspondence, personal papers, state papers, legal documents, and memoranda. By closely examining these sources, the author has gained a clearer insight into the lives and careers of the Cecil’s, the true powerhouse behind the throne.

~ ~ ~

A detailed look at the father / son duo of William and Robert Cecil, from their humble beginnings to their prominence under Queen Elizabeth I. Author David Lee explores their political careers and personal lives, their personalities and relationship with Elizabeth, politics and religions, their rises and rewards, and finally their legacy.

We begin with William - his family and early life, his own marriage and family, and his formation of ties to the monarchy. His career began under Henry VIII and continued under Henry's son and successor Edward VI - Lee comments that Cecil's "... early life and religiosity reflected that of the monarchs .." - a wise move no doubt under Henry. Even at this stage (1540s & 1550s), Cecil was developing his relationship with Elizabeth. When Catholic Mary Tudor came to power, Cecil, a protestant, wisely stayed away from court, and he only re-emerges when Elizabeth takes the throne.

Lee then examines Cecil's position as secretary and how he was viewed by his contemporaries; his patronage and influence; and onto his own family and their positions.

Cecil's tenure coincided with religious tensions both in England and Europe. There was also the question of Mary Queen of Scots and the secret marriages of Elizabeth's kinswomen. During this time, another key player at the Elizabethan court was on the rise - Walsingham - the Spy Master. Quite timely as the 1580s were marked by plots and treason, the execution of Mary, the rise of the Jesuits and the threat of the Spanish Armada.

Cecil's final decade witnessed the rise of his son Robert, who had taken over from Walsingham whilst his eldest son by his first marriage, Thomas, took his place in the parliament, and succeeded his father as Lord Burghley.

We move onto Robert's career under James I, which begins rather precariously due to his rivalry with Walter Raleigh. However, following the Gunpowder Plot, Robert's position stablises and he too rises in esteem. But the court of James I was a hotbed of scandal, not the least for Thomas Cecil.

What Lee provides is a valuable insight into a family whose sense of duty to the monarch and crown saw them well rewarded and regarded even if not by those courtiers who viewed them with a slightly envious eye. Their political legacy extended even into the 20th century.

Recommended for those wanting to expand their reading beyond general histories of both the Tudor, Elizabethan and Jacobite periods.

Review: Peter of Savoy by John Marshall

Synopsis: 

Where did the story that ended with the great Edwardian castles of north Wales begin? How was it that hundreds of men from Savoy built castles in north Wales? Whose stylised statue sits outside the Savoy Hotel in London on the site of his former palace? Whose castle of Pevensey endured successfully the longest English siege? Why does much of Switzerland speak French to this day? Why do we find elements of the Magna Carta in the Statutes of Savoy? Who was one of the greatest figures of the thirteenth century? Peter of Savoy, known to chroniclers of his homeland as The Little Charlemagne.

Peter of Savoy came to England as the uncle of Queen Alianor de Provence, the consort of King Henry III. He quickly found favour as one of Henry’s closest advisers and noblemen. Peter was in effect Queen Alianor’s right-hand man in England, her protector, and subsequently the protector of Lord Edward, the future King Edward I. He played a key role in Henry’s military and diplomatic efforts to recover his ancestral lands in France which culminated in the 1259 Treaty of Paris. This rapprochement between the Capetians and Plantagenets might have warded off the Hundred Years War, but it was not to be.

Nonetheless, the nineteenth-century monks of Savoy thought it his greatest accomplishment. Peter played a key role in the Second Baronial War which engulfed Henry’s reign, at first siding with Simon de Montfort but then changing sides as the reform movement veered toward xenophobia. Returning to Savoy he laid the foundations for the County of Savoy to become a powerful Duchy which in turn almost became a country before it was dismembered by Switzerland, Italy and France. His historical reputation suffered at the hands of English chroniclers keen to eulogise the Montfortian regime. This work is an attempt to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

~ ~ ~

It get five stars as it ticked all the boxes for me - it achieves what it sets out - to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

And why five starts - it is a biography about a man who was at the forefront of European politics in the 13th century; it is a biography that provided additional information from what I had already read; it is a biography that provided a more balanced view of an historical figure; and it is a biography that I would be more than happy to have on the shelves of my own library (and will be - adding it to my own library, that is). Definitely one for those with an understanding of period and the major players, but also one for those looking for that little bit more.

Marshall does extraordinarily well to bring to life the character and person that was Peter of Savoy. Marshall notes that in reference to the Savoyards and their attachment to the royal family, that "... in assessing 13th century international affairs, we must think of them as family first and foremost ...". For that was how monarchs ruled - they tended to surround themselves not only with capable military and political minds, but with family, whose loyalty to them and them alone, was rarely doubted. And in Peter of Savoy and his family, Henry III, King of England, found a staunch ally who guarded the monarchy through the later tumultuous years of his reign. Peter was a pragmatist, who led a life with one foot in England and the other in Savoy; who was driven by the protection of his family and its interests in the Plantagenet dynasty. His niece was - afterall - Queen of England - but he was more than that - though depending on the political camp you were in, he was both praised and vilified.

Marshall begins with Savoy - and Peter's (or Pierre) antecedents, the foundation of the County, and its early links to England. In Savoy, Marshall advises, succession is never so simple and there was constant inter-family strife over inheritance from both sides of Peter's family - those in Savoy and those in Geneva.

Then the focus then turns to four sisters, the daughters of Raymond Berenguer V, Count of Provence. Briefly, these are: Margaret (m. King Louis IX of France); Eleanor (m. King Henry III of England); Sancha (m. Richard, King of the Romans, and brother of Henry III); and finally, Beatrice (m. Charles I, King of Sicily). And mentioned above - family was key in the world of international politics (he was uncle to all four women) - and these marriages, as with others, would play their part.

Peter found himself at the English court, where his appointments were viewed with some suspicion - nepotism was alive and well in 13th century England. However, Peter was a very capable administrator who was well rewarded - how else was he able to manage the affairs of both England and Savoy! But his main aim was to build a familial network around both Henry III, but more importantly, around his niece Eleanor and her son, Edward (later King Edward I of England). 

Henry's reign was far from popular: there were failed military forays (designed to reclaim lost Continental lands); there were the attempts to place his brother on the Imperial throne and his second son on the throne of Sicily; there were rebellions in Gascony; and there were efforts to remove the influence at court of "foreigners".  This period in English history would also be known for the Barons' Wars, and the rise and fall of the King's brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort.

The latter part of Peter's life would see him back in Savoy, consolidating his European lands, taking on the Habsburgs, settling disputes and ensuring the family succession. He was a key player on the international political scene; he was a reformer, a visionary, a statesman and diplomat, and a peacemaker.

I could literally wax lyrical about this book till the cows come home - but for those with an interest in 13th century European politics, this is a must have biography.

I would recommend reading this in conjunction with Marshall's book: Welsh Castle Builders

Review: The Case of Cem by Vera Mutafchieva

Synopsis: Vera Mutafchieva’s The Case of Cem, presented as a series of depositions by historical figures before a court, tells a straightforward tale: Upon the death of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1481, his eldest son Bayezid takes the throne. However, discontented factions within the Ottoman army urge Mehmed’s second son Cem, a well-educated and experienced warrior, to oppose his brother’s ascension. Bayezid refuses, setting off a ruthless power struggle and forcing Cem into long years of exile, a pawn for European powers as they try to slow the Ottoman Empire’s expansion.

This enticing novel of court intrigue maintains lasting resonance for being a personal exploration of emigration and loss as told through the historical era during which the politics of the East and West were sketched out with utter clarity. These early lines of demarcation, as voiced through Christian and Muslim emissaries, power hungry rulers, unflinching warriors, and poets, have indelibly influenced the word as we know it today.

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As the synopsis mentions, this historical fiction novel is set out as if the characters were themselves in court, setting out their own history before embarking on their recollection of their involvement in the events surrounding the last years and days of the Ottoman Prince and Sultan Cem. Each character, speaking in the first person, provides their own unique and personal view on events from their interactions with the exiled Cem. Each character provides a little more to the overall story of Cem, with the fictional character of the poet Saadi, providing the main thread linking all to and providing an insight into Cem, as Cem himself does not provide any account for the reader.

Following his failed attempt to take his father's throne and the accession of his brother Bayezid as ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Cem became the ultimate bargaining chip in international political relations between the East (Ottoman Empire) and the West (Kings, Popes, Knights) - all of whom were eager to bring about some truce with the encroaching Ottoman Empire - for themselves, individually, not collectively. Cem is often viewed as "a hapless prisoner and cruelly betrayed paramour of a bored and similarly imprisoned noblewoman".

Cem was far from being a distant figure - having come across him in my readings on the Ottoman Empire (a fascinating lesson in the art of political survival) and other historical tomes where he has featured during his exile, not least as a "guest" of the Hospitallers on Rhodes and of the Borgia Pope in Rome.  Even in death, Cem still provided to be worthy of bargaining.

This is quite a lengthy read but I would say one that is not overly cumbersome - take your time and enjoy the story. A new reader to this period may find this style a bit more user-friendly as opposed to diving head first into Ottoman politics and history (which is quite the fascination).

Review: A Grave For A Thief by Douglas Skelton

Synopsis: England, 1716. The only certainty in a thief’s life… is death.

Christopher Templeton is a lawyer whose conscience troubles him. He knows many of the secrets of The Fellowship, the shadowy group profiting from the civil unrest in the nation, and has intimated to the Company of Rogues that he is willing to share them.

The problem is, he has vanished. Jonas Flynt – thief, gambler, killer – still recovering from a duel with death upon the frozen Thames, is tasked with finding him.

The trail takes him from the dark slums of London to a quiet village in the north of England, where all is not as it seems. But while he hunts for the missing man, someone else may be stalking him… someone with murder in their heart.

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Honestly, I am loving this series from Skelton. As I have mentioned previously, the timeline is set outside of my usual historical fiction parameters - but I am glad that I have dipped my toe into the Hanoverian period.

Flynt is back, and being sent on another shadowy mission by Charters. Characters from the previous two books make an appearance (so reading the series from the start is a must), and a new character is introduced, who is not unknown to Flynt. A help or hinderance is debtable.

The cat and mouse game is played out in both London and ending in some rural village, where not all is as it seems. Who is hunter and who is prey will be determined at the final customary stand-off (evil versus, well in this instance, good).

For this book, however, Skelton has decided not to draw on an actual historical event for the plotline - however, this does in no way detract from the story at hand. The elements are all there: crime, mystery, espionage, rebellion, revenge - and the tale is deftly spun, entangling the reader in its web.

Overall, this book, like its predecessors, is an enjoyable romp through the underbelly of Hanoverian England, still under threat from those damnable Jacobites. And I for one, am looking forward to more!

Series Reviews:

1. An Honorable Thief

2. A Thief's Justice

Review: The Royal Women Who Made England by MJ Porter

Synopsis: Throughout the tenth century, England, as it would be recognised today, formed. No longer many Saxon kingdoms, but rather, just England. Yet, this development masks much in the century in which the Viking raiders were seemingly driven from England’s shores by Alfred, his children and grandchildren, only to return during the reign of his great, great-grandson, the much-maligned Æthelred II.

Not one but two kings would be murdered, others would die at a young age, and a child would be named king on four occasions. Two kings would never marry, and a third would be forcefully divorced from his wife. Yet, the development towards ‘England’ did not stop. At no point did it truly fracture back into its constituent parts. Who then ensured this stability? To whom did the witan turn when kings died, and children were raised to the kingship?

The royal woman of the House of Wessex came into prominence during the century, perhaps the most well-known being Æthelflæd, daughter of King Alfred. Perhaps the most maligned being Ælfthryth (Elfrida), accused of murdering her stepson to clear the path to the kingdom for her son, Æthelred II, but there were many more women, rich and powerful in their own right, where their names and landholdings can be traced in the scant historical record.

Using contemporary source material, The Royal Women Who Made England can be plucked from the obscurity that has seen their names and deeds lost, even within a generation of their own lives.

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MJ Porter brings to life some of the many royal women who inhabited 10th Century Anglo Saxon England. An the author of a number of historical fiction books set in this era, it should come as no surprise that this tome should be the germination of much of that self-same research.

"The Royal Women Who Made England" covers are number of areas such as royal brides, religious women, and women who have married into the royal family from areas both within and without England. There is a handy group of resources from family trees to wills and charters, and the women covered off stem from King Alfred unto Aethelred II.

However ..... it it the set up, the structure, of the tome that has me at odds. We begin with a brief history of the period and a list of royal women covered off by the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) database. Then the succeeding chapters diversify, providing biographies of the leading ladies of the period. There is a chapter dedicated to legal documents to and from these women, before concluding with a further set of biographical information of these women.

So my bug-bears with this book:

• the multiple uses of the following phrases: must have, probably, believed, often said, possibly, it appears,might have, the suggestions, potentially;
• the disjointed repetitiveness of the biographical information provided (especially for someone coming into this green)

A suggested structure may have looked like:

• introduction into the period covering off a short who's who of notable (men) connected to each woman followed by a purely biographical dictionary of the women (which might have eliminated the repeated biographical information provided in the relevant chapter then again at the end)

And then this final comment from Porter, who says that in writing this tome and presenting the lives of these women, she has "... drawn on my imagination when considering what their part might have been, for not to do so, would make it impossible to realise them as real people ...". I'm sorry, what??? Are you writing fact or fiction?? Are you using fiction to prop up fact?? What are you telling me - the reader - about this tome? I am left rather gobsmacked.

To put it bluntly, it is no easy task to place any of these women (with a few exceptions) at the forefront of Anglo Saxons politics, and certainly not in any firm role that would have shaped the destiny of England. Their role as wives, mothers, daughters, patrons, religious, was no different from many women of royal ruling houses - either before, after or contemporary. As I have said previously, its all well and good to bring forth a tome on a notable person, but to ascribe to them more than their due is being disingenuous to the reader.

As with a number of other books on notable women from this particular publisher, the author pool appears to be drawn from the blog-o-sphere and the presentation of the tomes in question reads like a collation of related blog posts, cobbled together with the sheerest thread of commonality. And it is disappointing that this book may well find its way into that same grouping. It is disappointing that this may be my last from this publisher.

Review: The Bastard Prince of Versailles by Will Bashor

Synopsis: A historical novel inspired by real events, The Bastard Prince of Versailles, narrates the escapades of a misborn "prince" during the reign of Louis XIV in seventeenth-century France.

Louis de Bourbon wasn't a real prince-even though his father was King Louis XIV. The illegitimate son of the King and his mistress, Louise de La Vallière, young Louis has been kept far from the court's eyes until summoned to bid adieu to his mother. To atone for her adultery, she joins a convent, abandoning Louis to an uncertain future. When Louis is humiliated by his father for his role in a secret gay society, he struggles to redeem himself through heroism and self-sacrifice in the king's army on the battlefield.

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The fictional account of the very short life of Louis, Count of Vermandois, son of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Louise de Valliere.

The synopsis covers it all really - Louis' short life from his birth to his ultimate sexual corruption by the Chevalier de Lorraine in revenge of some slight done unto him by the King, to his exile and death (1683).

During the reign of Louis XIV homosexuality was punishable with death.  However, it was, in reality - at least at the French Court -  difficult to pursue such deviates when the King’s own brother was a noted invert, beneath contempt but above the law. As most marriages in the aristocracy were arrangements of property, French society condoned concubinage; nearly every man who could afford it had a mistress; men plumed themselves on their liaisons almost as much as on their battles; a woman felt desolate if no man but her husband pursued her; and some faithless husbands winked at their wives’ infidelities.

This is the world into which the pretty, young and naive young Louis was thrust once Louis XIV decided his offspring would be better educated and monitored at Versailles.

At times, the narrative feels overly long and rambling, however, this is a fair reconstruction of Louis' young life.  Those with an interest in French history and the court of the Sun King will find this enjoyable.

Review: A Man Named Baskerville by Jim Nelson

Sysnopsis: He took on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and he lost. Now he wants revenge.In 1888, Sherlock Holmes slayed the spectral hound haunting the Devonshire moor, thereby laying to rest the curse of the Baskervilles once and for all. The perpetrator escaped into the night and was presumed drowned, consumed by the murky bog...

In truth, the criminal mastermind survived the night to nurse his wounds and plot his revenge against Sherlock Holmes.

"A Man Named Baskerville" recounts the life and times of Rodger Baskerville, exiled heir to the esteemed family's fortune. His journal records his adventures from the Amazon rainforests to the beaches of Costa Rica to Victorian England, where he attempts to take his rightful place at Baskerville Hall. Along the way, he peels back the layers of family secrets and scandals untold in Dr. Watson's account of the demonic hound haunting the Baskervilles.

Most of all, he describes a Sherlock Holmes unlike the legendary detective you think you know.

"A Man Named Baskerville" retells the infamous Arthur Conan Doyle mystery in a way you've never read before. It's a sizzling new take on a classic hailed as a masterpiece of the English language, named one of the most influential books ever by the BBC and Le Monde, and beloved by Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide for over a century.

It's a rousing adventure, from start to finish. What's more—it's a Sherlock Holmes story unlike any you've read before.

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This is the much needed backstory of the character of Stapleton from Conan Doyle's "Hound of the Baskervilles". It is exceedingly  well done and in keeping with Conan Doyle's original story. Over the course of a few days, and whilst he is being hunted by not only Holmes and Watson but also the local posse, Stapleton / Baskerville's earlier life is recounted.  

This reflection, in diary form and narrated in the first person by Stapleton / Baskerville, is taking place in "real time" following his escape into Grimpen Mire.  This alternate version of current events are related through the eyes of Stapleton / Baskerville, and are written in such a way as to elicit empathy for the narrator.

Heartily recommended for lovers of Holmes and those looking to add to their own Sherlock Holmes collections. Definitely one for my own!

Read More:

The Scandal Haunting "The Hound of the Baskervilles"

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Jack Stapleton

What if Sherlock Holmes was wrong about everything?

Review: The Promise of Plague Wolves by Coy Hall

Synopsis: AUSTRIA. 1686.

Two plagues rage in the countryside. One plague is smallpox, a torturous disease that ravages the body, turning homes into tombs.

The other ailment is more mysterious, a scourge of occult origin, a plague that ravages the mind and consumes the soul.

Here the deepest horrors are made manifest. Here the dead walk the shadowed wood. Here a spirit and its brood of changelings emerge from the earth to feed. Into this malefic maelstrom enters Dorin Toth, famed occultist and investigator.

Accompanied by his faithful greyhound, Vinegar Tom, Toth must find the source of the eldritch epidemic.

Will Toth and Tom prevail against the blights that they uncover? Or will the dark storm of ghosts consume them?

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Despite the premise, I did not find myself engaged in the narrative. I am not really a fan of supernatural fiction but thought I would give it a go as it's set within an historical fiction context. I did not finish this, though I am sure there are others who will more fully engage with this tome, the narrative and characters, and its author.

Review: Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Synopsis: The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Center convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer," Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

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Anyone new to Japanese fiction / mysteries should be aware that these books tend to contain lengthy descriptions ... about everything. Having read a number of Japanese mysteries this was something I was well aware of - and yet, I was thoroughly disengaged with both characters (Rika Machida and Manako Kujii) and the narrative to the point that I would consider myself utterly bored. After 100 or so pages of a story that was three parts too long in the telling and one part mystery, I literally gave up - and this being despite the fact that this story was "inspired" upon real events (a theme I tend to find engaging).

If you are interested in cooking and butter then by all means, read on.  If you are interested in the "real events" that inspired this particular work, then head over to good old wikipedia and read about Kinae Kijima.