Review: Yorkist Pretenders to the Tudor Throne by Kieran Molloy

Synopsis: For more than a decade after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Henry VII's fledgling dynasty was threatened by two Yorkist claimants. Lambert Simnel's rebellion, though short-lived, ended at the Battle of Stoke in 1487, a far bloodier affair than Bosworth two years earlier. The second rebellion, centred on Perkin Warbeck, ended in ignominious surrender but was the fulcrum of a power struggle involving the major European powers for most of the 1490s.

Who were these two men? Were they the imposters claimed by the King and generally accepted as such by most historians, or were they the nobles they claimed to be - Edward, Earl of Warwick and Richard, second son of Edward IV? What became of the other “Prince in the Tower”, Edward V? Were Edward IV's two sons really murdered by their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, or were both alive and involved in the two rebellions? Was there any link between the rebellions, or were they the last desperate and uncoordinated rolls of the dice by remnants of the House of York unwilling to accept the new Tudor regime? Do we really know what became of Simnel and Warbeck after their rebellions failed other than what Henry VII told us?

Part I of this book examines the evidence for the identity of Lambert Simnel while Part II recreates a courtroom trial for Perkin Warbeck allowing you, the reader, to act as jury.

~ ~ ~

The two stars are for the first part only - this was the study of Lambert Simnel, and whilst I was expecting something a bit more scholarly, this section was dealt with in an even-handed manner, providing a case for and against the various claimants.

HOWEVER, part two was a poorly executed shambles and had me asking WTF?. This smacks of laziness in an effort to reach a publication deadline and treats the reader with contempt.

Had this investigation into the Perkin Warbeck case continued in the same vein as part one, then this would be a three possibly four stars rated book.

This needs some serious re-thinking and re-editing before publication or your audience is lost.

Review: The Lady of the Mine by Sergei Lebedev

Synopsis: The mystical laundress at the center of this novel is obsessed with purity. Her task is formidable as she stands guard over a sealed shaft at a Ukrainian coalmine that hides terrible truths. The bodies of dead Jews lying in its depths seem to attract still more present-day crimes.

Acclaimed Russian author Sergei Lebedev portrays a ghostly realm riven by lust and fear just as the Kremlin invades the same part of Ukraine occupied by the Wehrmacht in World War Two.

Then corpses rain from the sky when a jetliner is shot down overhead, scattering luxury goods along with the mortal remains. Eerie coincidences and gruesome discoveries fill this riveting exploration of an uncanny place where the geography exudes violence, and where the sins of the past are never all that in the past.

Lebedev, who has won international praise for his soul-searching prose and unflinching examination of history’s evils, shines light on the fault line where Nazism met Soviet communism, evolving into the new fascism of today’s Russia.

~ ~ ~

Hauntingly brilliant.

This is my third tome from Lebedev, It is set across five days in July 2014, in Ukraine, as Russian troops invade. The story is narrated by four characters: Zhanna, daughter of the mystical laundress; Valet, a former neighbour now in the police special regiment, who is fired by jealousy and vengeance; The General (Korol), who is fascinated by the shaft and its secrets; and The Engineer, the ghostly first victim to be buried there.

It does take a little bit to get into the rhythm of the prose but persevere and you will find a gripping story with elements of the supernatural.

Review: Delilah by Eleanor de Jong

Synopsis: Maligned as the courtesan who revealed the mighty Samson's secret for money, Delilah has become synonymous with treachery. But behind the myth is a tale far more tragic?

From the moment they met, there was a fire in their relationship, with Samson pitted against Delilah's family. But Samson soon develops an overwhelming passion for Delilah; entranced by her beauty and passionate nature. Meanwhile the Israelites and the Philistines are in a state of constant conflict, with Samson a seemingly unbeatable warrior. The Philistines are desperate to learn the secret behind Samson's power and enrol Delilah as a pawn to bring him down. Driven by misplaced anger, Delilah agrees to use her wiles to discover the secret of his strength. But Delilah finds that Samson is far from the ogre that she had assumed.

But a sequence of events have been set in motion which both of them are powerless to stop. The consequences of her mistake have gone down in history and this wonderful novel is as alluring and beguiling as Delilah herself.

~ ~ ~

A decent re-telling of the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah with a focus on the redemption of Delilah. This narrative adds context to Delilah's actions and represents her in a more humanly persona. The reader will find themselves captivated by the story of these two well-known Biblical figures.

For more on the story of Delilah, visit:

• Jewish Women's Archive
• Wikipedia - Delilah

Review: The Mirror of Simple Souls by Aline Kiner

Synopsis: A captivating story of love, jealousy and faith, set amid a community of independent women in medieval Paris — the perfect summer read for fans of historical fiction.

This thrilling, sensual evocation of medieval Paris sold over 100,000 copies in France and offers a fascinating insight into the world of the beguines — communities of women who lived independently of men and successfully managed their own affairs all the way back in the Middle Ages.

A heretical text, a vengeful husband, a forbidden love...

It's 1310 and Paris is alive with talk of the trial of the Templars. Religious repression is on the rise, and the smoke of execution pyres blackens the sky above the city. But sheltered behind the walls of Paris's great beguinage, a community of women are still free to work, study and live their lives away from the domination of men.

When a wild, red-haired child clothed in rags arrives at the beguinage gate one morning, with a sinister Franciscan monk on her tail, she sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the peace of this little world-plunging it into grave danger...

~ ~ ~

Historical fiction set in the Beguinage of Paris 1310 - 1317.

The Beguines were usually women who lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take formal religious vows, were allowed to leave at any time, though they did promise not to marry whilst within the community. Beguines were part of a larger spiritual revival movement of the 13th century, that soon attracted the attention of secular and clerical authorities, and came under criticism as a result of their ambiguous social and legal status. The decline of the Beguines in Paris commenced around 1312 - after the death of Margaret Porete.

Paris 1300s

The story opens with the trial of the doomed mystic Marguerite Porete (who was burned at the stake in Paris on charges of heresy in 1310) and of a fleeing young woman, Mahaut, who is rescued and protected by the Beguine, Ysabel.

And after that the story pretty much falls flat. I'm really not sure what was trying to be achieved - a history of the Beguines, historical fiction, a linkage around the title of Margaret Porete's book .... maybe a sense of lost in translation as I certainly felt no connection to the plot or characters.  A case of what might have been ..

Review: The Launch Party by Lauren A Forry

Synopsis: THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME. YOU'D DIE TO BE THERE.

Ten lucky people have won a place at the most exclusive launch event of the the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, the first hotel on the moon. It's an invitation to die for. As their transport departs for its return to Earth and the doors seal shut behind them, the guests take the next leap for mankind.

However, they soon discover that all is not as it seems. The champagne may be flowing, but there is no one to pour it. Room service is available, but there is no one to deliver it. Besides the ten of them, they are completely alone.

When one of the guests is found murdered, fear spreads through the group. But that death is only the beginning. Being three days' journey from home and with no way to contact the outside, can any of the guests survive their stay?

~ ~ ~

"... we are all just strangers floating in a metal tube ..."

Ten people win a trip to a luxury hotel on the moon - alone on the journey, one is found dead. The guests are on their own - the staff and ship have mysteriously left. The guests assume they are in a reality TV show.

This is a cosy sci-fi mystery all about revenge for past actions and more than one guest is linked to the events.

That's pretty much it. I breezed through this as there was very little to tax the brain, despite the premise of a locked-room mystery, which could have been set in an abandoned and isolated hotel ... anywhere. Further exploration of the setting would have been useful as would character development. Read it for what it is ... light fluff entertainment. Agatha Christie or Lucy Foley this is not.

Review: The Meji Guillotine Murders by Futaro Yamada

Synopsis: Japan, 1869. A time of reform and rebellion.A classic Japanese mystery – a pair of sleuths investigate a series of bloody murders in 19th century Tokyo.

Detectives Kazuki and Kawaji are assigned to investigate a series of seemingly impossible murders. Together with the help of a mysterious shrine maiden, can they solve each gruesome death and piece together the dark connection between them?

~ ~ ~

This tale is told over a series of small stories, each with it's own mystery and solution, but all converge and are joined in the final chapter, where the over-arching narrative is revealed and mystery solved.

There are two main investigating characters from the Imperial Prosecuting Office: Kazuki (based on a real historical figure) and his partner, the fictional, Kawagi. As an additional character, we are introduced to the fay-life Esmeralda, who accompanies the object in the title - the guillotine - to Japan, and remains as a sort of spiritualist who divines clues from speaking with the victims. Can't say I was a fan of Esmeralda and at times wonder why she was included at all.

There are many themes in this narrative - corruption, reform, colonialisation, tradition, politics, religion, rivalry, jealousy - for mid to late 19th century Japan was undergoing much change with the introduction of Western ideas and the end of Japan's isolationist policies.

A slow moving pace may detract some readers, but it is worth persevering to the end when the mysteries of the shorter stories and finally understood.

Review: The Noh Mask Murder by Akimitsu Takagi

Synopsis: A bewildering locked-room murder occurs as an amateur crime writer investigates strange events in the Chizurui mansion in this prizewinning classic Japanese mystery.

This ingenously constructed masterpiece, written by one of Japan’s most celebrated crime writers and translated into English for the first time, is perfect for locked-room mystery fans who can’t resist a breathtaking conclusion.

In the Chizurui family mansion, a haunting presence casts a shadow over its residents. By night, an eerie figure, clad in a sinister Hannya mask is seen roaming around the house. An amateur murder mystery writer, Akimitsu Takagi, is sent to investigate — but his investigation takes a harrowing turn as tragedy strikes the Chizurui family.

Within the confines of a locked study, the head of the family is found dead, with only an ominous Hannya mask lying on the floor by his side and the lingering scent of jasmine in the air as clues to his mysterious murder.

As Takagi delves deeper into the perplexing case, he discovers a tangled web of secrets and grudges. Can he discover the link between the family and the curse of the Hannya mask? Who was the person who called the undertaker and asked for three coffins on the night of the murder? And do those three coffins mean the curse of the Hannya mask is about to strike again?

The Noh Mask Murder’s legendary ending offers locked-room mystery fans the perfect coda to an ingenously constructed mystery.

~ ~ ~

Japanese crime fiction is not a simple genre - it is complex, tedious, ingenious, complicated, enthralling, gruesome. There is a narrative that can be as long and winding as a mountain path - it is never direct and never clear-cut. It is an onion - each layer revealing something new, something deadly, something confusing, something linked, something delicious. 

Japanese crime fiction of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s - or deductive reasoning fiction - is a genre that explores human driven motives that, as Seichō Matsumoto says "... originates from the psychology when people is left in the extreme situation..". 

An article from The Guardian discusses the art of "Honkaku" which refers "... to the crafting of fiendishly clever and complex puzzle scenarios".  In this same article, writer Haruta Yoshitame is said to have defined or described "Honkaku" as "... a detective story that mainly focuses on the process of a criminal investigation and values the entertainment derived from pure logical reasoning”."

The Noh Mask Murder is no different - the author narrates his own murder mystery, when he is called in to investigate by one Koichi Yangi, whose journals also form part of the narration.

As Takagi notes: "... unnatural facades have a habit of concealing sinister motives .." and as more family secrets are being revealed or unraveled as the case progresses, the corpses pile up. Prosecutor Ishikari observed that "... the Chizurui mansion was not a place where normal notions of justice held much sway ...". In fact, as the author notes, "... once the curtains had opened on the tragedy, the Chizurui family was plunged into catastrophe after catastrophe - and at a terrifying speed ...".

It is deliciously gripping narrative that slowly draws the reader into the spider web deftly woven around the key themes of family, suspicion, fear, hatred and death. No one is innocent but who is truly guilty ..? You must read on till the very end!

Review: Every Spy A Traitor by Alex Gerlis

Synopsis: Trust no one. Suspect everyone.

It’s 1937. Fear and suspicion stalk the Continent. A million have died in Stalin’s Great Purge and the Nazi terror grips Germany. But British intelligence is still trying to work out who the enemy is.

As Europe heads towards war, treason is in the air. British spymasters know there is one Soviet agent in their ranks, codenamed Agent ‘Archie’, and there’s a frantic search to find them. What they don’t know is that he is not the only traitor.

The life of Charles Cooper, a young British writer travelling Europe to research his novel, is about to change for ever…

~ ~ ~

As much as I truly love a spy / espionage novel, this one just did not gel with me and I found the character of Charles Cooper aka "Bertie" rather .... grating.  

I just did not like him from the start and as such found the narrative rather forced to get the reader to believe that this person would make / be a suitable agent. Many pre-Cold War agents were drawn from the upper echelons of British society or were "approached" at university; and yet this character just did not sit right with me - especially as an agent sent into Stalinist Russia!. As such, I failed to become invested in the narrative and could not wait for tome to end. I will not be pursuing any further books in the series.

Review: The Scent of Murder by Felicity Young

Synopsis: 'If a black dog appears along the old corpse way, the route a funeral procession takes to the churchyard, it is thought to be escorting the dead soul to the afterlife. A black dog sighting without a funeral procession, however, is supposed to foreshadow death.'

For Doctor Dody McCleland, the unearthing of an ancient skeleton in a dry riverbed is a welcome break from the monotony of chaperoning her younger sister at a country house near the isolated hamlet of Piltdown. But when she begins her analysis of the bones, Britain's first female autopsy surgeon discovers they are much more recent - and they are the result of murder.

With Chief Inspector Matthew Pike's help Dody begins to investigate. Soon she finds herself pitted against ugly traditionalism, exploitation, spectral dogs, a ghostly hunt and a series of events that not only threaten her belief in scientific rationalism, but threaten her life itself.

~ ~ ~

Tackling another of the social issues of the day, author Felicity Young takes us back to Edwardian England in this third instalment of the Dody McCleland series. Teaming up with Chief Inspector Matthew Pike and sister Florence, Dody is again, faced with another mystery and one that puts her own life very much at risk. Young gives the read more than one mystery to solve!

Review: Antidote to Murder by Felicity Young

Synopsis: When an act of compassion misfires, autopsy surgeon Dr Dody McCleland must fight not only for her career, but also for her life.

The body of a scullery maid is discovered in her room. When it emerges that she had recently begged Dody to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, the coroner recommends Dody be tried for criminal abortion causing death. Meanwhile, the one man who might be able to help her, Chief Inspector Matthew Pike, is nowhere to be found. After another woman′s body is discovered bearing all the hallmarks of the same crime, Dody suspects that a rogue doctor is on the loose.

Amid the turbulence of Edwardian London with its mix of strikes, suffragettes, German spies, exotic dancers and an illicit drug trade, Dody must unmask the killer before more girls are butchered and her own life ends on the gallows.

~ ~ ~

Absolutely loved it! Wish I had read the first in this series to get the background on the characters, however the author generously provides this at the end.

The star is the heroine - an Edwardian females assistant coroner - but dont think "Quincy MD" think "Body of Proof" or "Murdoch Mysteries" - complete with police sidekick.

I was not overly familiar with the period but author Felicity Young makes you feel quite at home in the back streets of Whitechapel or the elegant promenades of London.

A wonderfully exciting read with enough sexual tension between our two leads to keep readers suitably engrossed.

Highly recommended.

Review: The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

Synopsis: One bright spring morning in London, Diana Cowper – the wealthy mother of a famous actor - enters a funeral parlor. She is there to plan her own service.Six hours later she is found dead, strangled with a curtain cord in her own home.

Enter disgraced police detective Daniel Hawthorne, a brilliant, eccentric investigator who’s as quick with an insult as he is to crack a case. Hawthorne needs a ghost writer to document his life; a Watson to his Holmes. He chooses Anthony Horowitz.

Drawn in against his will, Horowitz soon finds himself a the center of a story he cannot control. Hawthorne is brusque, temperamental and annoying but even so his latest case with its many twists and turns proves irresistible. The writer and the detective form an unusual partnership. At the same time, it soon becomes clear that Hawthorne is hiding some dark secrets of his own.

~ ~ ~

Thought I'd read a couple of pages but a few hours later had found that I had finished - that's how much I was invested in the prose. A great first book in a series where I began with book two, but this sets up things up nicely. Horowitz is a master storyteller and our narrator in this tome, as he once again inserts himself into is own novel.

Review: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Synopsis: Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer. His editor, Susan Ryeland, has worked with him for years, and she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. Alan's traditional formula pays homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It's proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

When Susan receives Alan's latest manuscript, in which Atticus Pünd investigates a murder at Pye Hall, an English manor house, she has no reason to think it will be any different from the others. There will be dead bodies, a cast of intriguing suspects, and plenty of red herrings and clues. But the more Susan reads, the more she realizes that there's another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript—one of ambition, jealousy, and greed—and that soon it will lead to murder.

~ ~ ~

Two stories intertwined - the story contained in the manuscript for the latest Atticus Pund novel, and the narrative centered around the "real life" narrative of Susan Ryeland and her quest to solve both the mystery of the missing chapter and the death of the manuscript's author, Alan Conway.

As both compelling narratives reach their conclusions, so too do both storylines begin to merge, with the clues left by Alan and Susan's own investigation, providing the reader with all they need to solve the mystery; or will the reader follow the red herrings and fall into the little traps set by both authors?.

Horowitz has a knack for skillfully (and subtly) inserting the reader into the narrative. The more you read, the greater you - the reader - feel invested in happenings and characters, becoming so fully immersed to the point where all else is oblivious. A cracking read!

Review: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Synopsis: Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

~ ~ ~

Yet another entertaining story from Foley using her trademark multiple narrative that once again, moves between past and present events. This time, the setting is in a Parisienne apartment complex, a literal hive where all residents are hiding some sort of secret, both from those within and those without. It takes not one but two outsiders to bring fast held (and disturbing) secrets to the fore - and with tragic consequences. Did everything change after the outsiders arrived or did events happened because of them?.

As Foley writes: "... what's that old French saying about family .... le voix du sang est la plus forte  .... the voice of blood is the strongest ..." - will blood hold out ....

Knocked this one over in the space of a few hours as the format was familiar and the storyline engaging.

Review: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Synopsis: On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The handsome and charming, a rising television star. The smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

~ ~ ~

Another great read from Lucy Foley. Stuck on a remote Irish island, past secrets and long-held jealousies came to the fore as guests gather for a wedding. Once again, the golden child comes off as rather tarnished once the surface of their facade begins to crumble. The past raises its ugly head as a number of the guests come to realise that their own long concealed skeletons are being slowly let out of the cupboard - and incidents, once unexplained, are now given substantial meaning.

And then the lights go out ...... one victim but more than one guest with ample motive and opportunity.

Foley once again retells events from the viewpoint of the main characters, with the narrative being told in both the past and present tense. Along the way, little pieces of each of these people is being revealed in such a way as to create the "aha" moment as the final few (short) chapters bring events to the apogee we all know is imminent.

Review: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Synopsis: All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirty-something friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

~ ~ ~

Not so much a thriller but a rather engaging mystery wherein you know there is a murder, there are multiple suspects, but the victim is never identified as such until the last few chapters. The narrative moves between the present and the few days leading up the deed, whilst each of those involved add a voice and perspective to chronicle of events. Clues are scattered like the proverbial breadcrumbs in a forest - but not to the extent that they are obvious and leading the reading down the path to deliverance. Much is muted and subtle - a bit like the landscape that provides the setting for our tale of jealousy, deception, betrayal and ultimately ... murder.

This was my first from this author - and I have two more of her books awaiting their turn - The Guest List and The Paris Apartment.

Review: Sword Brethren by Jon Byrne

Synopsis: 1242. After being wounded in the Battle on the Ice, Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Alexander, intrigued by his captive’s story, instructs his scholar to assist Richard in writing about his life.

Richard’s chronicle begins in 1203, when his training to be a knight is disrupted by treachery. He is forced to flee England for Lübeck, where he begins work for a greedy salt merchant. After an illicit love affair, his new life is thrown into turmoil, and he joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as they embark on imposing the will of God on the pagans of the eastern Baltic.

Here, he must reconcile with his new life of prayer, danger and duty – despite his own religious doubts, with as many enemies within the fortified commandery as the wilderness outside. However, when their small outpost in Riga is threatened by a large pagan army, Richard is compelled to make a crucial decision and fight like never before.

~ ~ ~

The premise intrigued me. Much has been written about the Crusades to Outremer, France, Constantinople and Spain, but very little has been dedicated to what is referred to as the Northern Crusades - the Christianisation of the Baltic by the Teutonic Knights and their kindred orders.

This fictional work is told in hindsight, narrated by our protagonist Richard, a Norman from England, who has found his way into one of the most conclusive battles of the 13th Century against the legendary Alexander Nevsky. How did he end up there is the crux of the narrative, as it is told in flashback by the aged and war weary Richard. His story begins with events in England and the reasons for his departure and eventual arrival in Lubeck. With a far from settled life, Richard is bound for Riga with the Sword Brethren.

Whilst the pace slowed in some places, I was overall engaged with the narrative (I did read it in one sitting), so much so that it had me reaching for my copy of Eric Christiansen's "The Northern Crusades" and flicking back to see that, yes, the Sword Brethren did actually exist! The Sword Brethren, however, were not the only Order battling away in the Baltic - there were many fingers in the pie, sometimes working together, oft times at odds with each other. It is a truly fascinating period of history, and one I am glad to see brought into the mainstream readership.

Looking forward to the continuation of Richard's narrative as the series progresses.

My Year In Books From Goodreads

For anyone interested in what I have read this year, Goodreads has again provided a summary of my year in reading - LINK HERE

I will catch up with the rest of my reviews from the books I have read in 2024 very shortly.

Review: Murder at Gull's Nest by Jess Kidd

Synopsis: I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret.

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent.

A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.

~ ~ ~

Not a fan. No connection whatsoever with either the mystery or characters, especially ex-Nun Nora Breen. Writing style was rather ho-hum for me.  

Review: Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier

Synopsis: Provence, 1347. Eleanore (Elea) Blanchet is a young midwife and herbalist with remarkable skills. But as she learned the day her mother died, the most dangerous thing a woman can do is draw attention to herself. She attends patients in her home city of Avignon, spends time with her father and twin sister, gathers herbs in the surrounding woods, and dreams of the freedom to pursue her calling without fear.

In a chance encounter, Elea meets Guigo de Chauliac, the enigmatic personal physician to the powerful Pope Clement, and strikes a deal with him to take her on as his apprentice. Under Chauliac’s tutelage she hones her skills as a healer, combining her knowledge of folk medicine with anatomy, astrology, and surgical techniques.

Then, two pieces of earth-shattering news: the Black Death has made landfall in Europe, and the disgraced Queen Joanna is coming to Avignon to stand trial for her husband’s murder. She is pregnant and in need of a midwife, a role only Elea can fill.

The queen’s childbirth approaches as the plague spreads like wildfire, leaving half the city dead in its wake. The people of Avignon grow desperate for a scapegoat and a group of religious heretics launch a witch hunt, one that could cost Elea—an intelligent, talented, unwed woman—everything.

~ ~ ~

Narrated in the first person by the main character, Eleanore, events in 14th century France are played out against a backdrop of fear, superstition, religious persecution, plague and papal politics.

Even for historical fiction, I was less than invested in the storyline as both it and the character of Eleanore was far from believable, especially for someone who is well read in the medieval universe. The main character just seemed a little too larger than life, taking on roles that only they are capable as there was certainly no-one else in the whole wide world who can. And the plot itself ...  bordering on fantasy fiction.

I would probably suggest this is more suited to young adult fiction or for someone with no idea of the historical times in which this is set. I actually hesitated in picking this up for review.  I wished I had let it pass by. Disappointing debut.

Review: Mrs Hudson & The Capricorn Incident by Martin Davies

Synopsis: It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the season - an international spectacular in which the young and popular Duke of Krasnow, a political exile from his native land, is due to take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess of Rovenia - a union that will heal the divisions between her family and the duke's. But the stakes are high.

When the princess disappears in dramatic circumstances, other members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr Sherlock Holmes and he, in turn, looks to his redoubtable housekeeper Mrs Hudson, and housemaid Flotsam, to assist in this puzzling case.

~ ~ ~

What if Baker Street’s most gifted resident wasn’t called Sherlock Holmes?

This is the premise for a mystery series based around Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper / landlady, Mrs Hudson, as the primary investigator. This particular tome is number seven in the series, which I wasn't fully cognisant of at the time of reading, so my comments are based solely on this tome.

Not a fan - Mrs Hudson was not to my mind, central to the storyline at all, it more based around the housemaid, Flotsam, who is also our narrator. Maybe I should I read the first books, as I was certainly not invested in this one.

For those who are interested, the  books in the series are:

• Mrs Hudson & the Spirits’ Curse
• Mrs Hudson and the Malabar Rose
• Mrs Hudson and the Lazarus Testament
• Mrs Hudson and the Samarkand Conspiracy
• Mrs Hudson and the Blue Daisy Affair
• Mrs Hudson and The Christmas Canary

Review: Tudor Executions by Helene Harrison

Synopsis: The Tudors as a dynasty executed many people, both high and low. But the nobility were the ones consistently involved in treason, either deliberately or unconsciously. Exploring the long sixteenth century under each of the Tudor monarchs gives a sense of how and why so many were executed for what was considered the worst possible crime and how the definition of treason changed over the period.

This book examines how and why Tudor nobles like Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham; Queen Consort Anne Boleyn; Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey; and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, fell into the trap of treason and ended up on the block under the executioner’s axe. Treason and the Tudor nobility seem to go hand in hand as, by the end of the sixteenth century and the advent of the Stuart dynasty, no dukes remained in England. How did this happen and why?

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Rather good insight into the Tudor paranoia over the usurpation ..... I mean succession. And as the reader continues on their grisly journey, they will discover how closely related to each other were both monarch and executed noble, as well as noble to noble.

Harrison begins with Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick (ex. 1499) and completed her list with Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex (ex. 1601) - spanning the reigns of Henry VII to Elizabeth I. All those "victims" contained within the pages of this tome are already known - so no new surprises. 

The narrative is not cumbersome, the research is obvious without being overbearing, the tome is easily readable, and dare I say it, entertaining.

One definitely for the Tudor history buffs!

Review: The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White

Synopsis: First published as The Wheel Spins in 1936 and adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock in 1938, Ethel Lina White’s The Lady Vanishes established the author as one of the greatest crime writers of the Golden Age.

After a summer holiday in a remote corner of Europe, the glamorous socialite Iris Carr is looking forward to returning to the comforts of home. But having stayed on at the resort after her friends’ departure, Iris now faces the journey home alone. On the train to Trieste, she is pleased to meet a kindly governess, Miss Froy, and strikes up a conversation. Iris warms to her companion, and is alarmed when she wakes from a sleep to find that Miss Froy has suddenly disappeared from the train without a trace. Worse still, she is horrified to discover that none of the other passengers on the train will admit to having ever seen such a woman.

Doubting her sanity and fearing for her life, Iris is determined to find Miss Froy before the train journey is over. Only one of her fellow passengers seems to believe her story. With his help, Iris begins to search the train for clues to the mystery of the vanished lady at the center of this ingenious classic thriller.

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If you pick up this tome and have watched Hitchcock's film, you will no doubt find yourself making comparisons. This tome is a slow build with a plot line slightly different to the one Hitchcock presents. The tension builds in the almost claustrophobia atmosphere of the train, as Iris - in her quest to find Miss Froy - realises that all are against her and she herself is in danger.

Like most tomes of the period, there is usually a secondary narrative or social commentary or political propaganda. Many early 20th century books embraced modernist techniques, such as stream-of-consciousness narration, nonlinear storytelling, and fragmented narratives; and focused on character to unravel the intricate web of an individual's thoughts and feelings .

This is no exception. It is a comment on the English abroad, on the behaviour and selfishness of the young group, and the outward snobbery of Iris' travelling companions. Even Iris comes under scrutiny: " ...... she was spoiled since birth; it was natural for her to be selfish ... ".

Still, read it for the enjoyment of this being a classic mystery.

Review: Broadway Butterfly by Anthony M DeStefano

Synopsis: The definitive book on one of the most notorious murders in Jazz Age New York history, that of Vivian Gordon, the high-end escort, con artist, and blackmailer connected to gangsters like “Legs” Diamond and Arnold Rothstein, whose death exposed the dark underbelly of police corruption throughout the city—from the Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist who is one of the foremost Mafia experts writing today. 

Like so many other pretty butterflies, Indiana-born Vivian Gordon fluttered to New York in 1920 looking for fame and fortune. Before long, the flame-haired chorus girl parlayed her youth, beauty, and ambition into more profitable means as a tough and glamorous symbol of Prohibition-era excess. She was a speakeasy owner, blackmailer, high-end escort, extortionist, racketeer, and con woman. But given her dangerously intimate associations—from ruthless underworld gangsters to corrupt high-ranking city officials—Vivian was also a woman who knew too much and who rightfully feared for her life. On February 26, 1931, Vivian’s bludgeoned and garroted body was found dumped in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. 

Now, in the first in-depth biography of its kind, Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning journalist Anthony M. DeStefano unravels her tumultuous life and the headline-making murder that became an obsession for many, including then-Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The evidence Vivian left behind was a diary with more than three-hundred names implicating powerful officials, philanthropists, businessmen, and every major gangland figure in collusion and corruption. The investigation eventually resulted in the career-ending investigation of James “Jimmy” Walker, disgraced mayor of New York City. Ultimately, Broadway Butterfly finally finds a place in history for Vivian, a woman with a rare legacy in gangster lore, whose demise was as tragically inevitable as the brutality of the city’s demimonde during Prohibition.

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More of a case of the author providing a central figure around which to delve into the history of the period rather than the other way around. Jazz Age New York is the star and Vivian Gordon is the understudy.

However, it is a highly compelling look at the huge amount of graft and corruption taking place in all levels of government, as well as an insight into some of the legendary characters of the period - gangsters, cops, politician and madams. The reader will not be failed to be entertained.

Nice wrap up at the end with a chapter dedicated to what happened to those key players mentioned in the book.

Review: Women & Warfare In The Ancient World by Karlene Jones-Bley

Synopsis: Explores mythological, legendary, archaeological, and historical evidence of women in a military setting.

Women and Warfare in the Ancient World presents a broad view of women and female figures involved in war in the ancient world, incorporating mythological, legendary, archaeological, and historical evidence for women in a military setting. Within this context are found not only fighters but also strategists, trainers, and leaders who may not have been on the actual battlefield. Exploring women and war within the Indo-European and Near Eastern worlds, this title seeks to challenge the view that women do not fight and that war is completely a male occupation – a view expressed as early as Xenophon and as late as the end of the 20th century.

Karlene Jones-Bley begins her study by defining Virgins, Viragos, and Amazons, going on to explore war goddesses, legendary, and historical women giving insights into different cultures, their attitudes towards women and how these have developed over time. Recent archaeological evidence supports her conclusions that women have always been a part of warfare.

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Whilst extensively researched, the first part of the book is mainly on the earliest aspects of women and war which tend to be more mythological and refer to goddesses or legendary women. Having said that, the use of mythological references sets the cultural stage for an acceptance of the role of women in warfare, showing that ancient cultures were "... quite adept at envisioning women as warriors ..." - I would hesitate to say,even more so than in our own modern times.

Jones-Bley then discusses archaeological evidence and a more modern re-assessment of both ancient graves and grave goods, before launching into the historical sphere from the classical ancient world to the late 15th century. Jones-Bley concludes that whilst "... power was a factor in women's fighting, women, in general, have more often fought in defence ..." - usually of their own rights or those of their families and children - or husbands!

Points off for repeating a very basic research errors, especially those dealing with Eleanor of Aquitaine on Crusade (unfortunately, this author is not alone in this as I have found this same error repeated in other tomes - a little due diligence next time rather than repeating the same old tropes).

Review: Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench & Brendan O'Hea

Synopsis: Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before by ordering internationally renowned actor Dame Judi Dench's SHAKESPEARE: The Man Who Pays The Rent—a witty, insightful journey through the plays and tales of our beloved Shakespeare.

Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig...

Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire countryside painted green...

Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head...

These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.

For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O'Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare's plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.

Interspersed with vignettes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, she serves up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour, striking level of honesty and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes, many of which have remained under lock and key until now.

Instructive and witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.

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Brendan O'Hea interviews Dame Judi Dench who reflects on her connection to the Bard through her time on stage and film, undertaking roles from Shakespeare's plays. A fun read that is not an analysis of the plays, but a noted actor's reflections, documented in a series of interviews conducted over a period of four years.

For lovers of the Bard and fans of Judi!