Review: Philanthropists by Rozlan Mohd Noor

Synopsis: While COVID-19 rages, the killings don’t stop—a new Inspector Mislan thriller.

Eight months after the assassination attempt that nearly ended his life, Inspector Mislan Latif is back on twenty-four-hour duty with his assistant, Detective Sergeant Johan Kamaruddin, when the call comes in: double murder in a house in the police district of Sentul. The two dark-skinned men were killed identically, execution-style. In the master bedroom of the rental, in plain sight on the bed, is almost three pounds of drugs, while no identfying documents, wallets, phones, and the like are to be found. No shots were heard, or the neighbors won’t admit to hearing them, but someone called the killings in to notify the police. In the area, drugs are rampant and also foreign nationals, legal and illegal. If the vics were foreign, without papers, where do they start?

Just as Mislan and Jo begin to dig into the case, they face an unprecedented hurdle. COVID-19 is spreading in the country at an alarming rate, prompting a nationwide Movement Control Order. Pursuing their leads in spite of the new restrictions, the investigators come into contact with members of the underworld and the refugee community, before realizing that the real culprits may be closer than they think.

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The sixth in the Inspector Mislan series, and in this instance it is not only criminals that the team have to contend with but Covid and all its implications. Mislan and his team investigate a double homicide, but as the investigation progresses, links to others are noted. Their investigations come full circle, much to their surprise and the outcome is not what is anticipated.

Noor brings all his knowledge from his own career in the police force to create well rounded characters and scenes that the reader will easily find themselves immersed. I am really enjoying this series and cannot wait for the next one!

Review: The Flames by Sophie Haydock

Synopsis: Set in the extravagant, Bohemian art world of early 20th century Vienna, the electrifying untold story of the four women who posed for and inspired the groundbreaking erotic art of controversial painter Egon Schiele.

Amid an opulent society living under the shadow of war are four muses, women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. Adele, his passionate and fierce admirer; Gertrude, his sister who survived their blighted childhood but is possessive, single-minded, and jealous; his mistress Vally, a poor young woman from a bad background but with steel at her core; and the two, very different, Harms sisters, Edith and Adele, both of whom vie to become Schiele’s wife.

Over the course of little more than a decade, the four women risk everything—their reputations, their most precious relationships, and their sanity and souls—as they try to hold on to the man they adore. As World War I throws their lives off course forever, and the Spanish influenza pandemic ravages Europe, threatening everyone in its path, one question remains: Will any of them emerge unscathed from their relationship with this man? Sophie Haydock’s The Flames reimagines the intertwining lives of these women: four wild, blazing hearts longing to be known. In an elegant Bohemian city like 1900s Vienna, everything seems possible. But just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy.

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If it was the author's intent to bring this women to the fore to show how they influenced a debauched, narcissistic and misogynistic philanderer, then this really does not do it. All the women come off as similar - love becomes obsession before being callously discarded and abandoned for another woman. I felt no connection with any of them as they appear very one dimensional, and Egon Schielle himself I found repulsive in his depraved pursuit of very young women (girls even).

I did finish the book however, hoping to find some redeeming features, but left not really feeling it.

Review: The Pirate's Wife by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

Synopsis: The dramatic and deliciously swashbuckling story of Sarah Kidd, the wife of the famous pirate Captain Kidd, charting her transformation from New York socialite to international outlaw during the Golden Age of Piracy. Captain Kidd was one of the most notorious pirates to ever prowl the seas. But few know that Kidd had an accomplice, a behind-the-scenes player who enabled his plundering and helped him outpace his enemies.

That accomplice was his wife, Sarah Kidd, a well-to-do woman whose extraordinary life is a lesson in reinvention and resourcefulness. Twice widowed by twenty-one and operating within the strictures of polite society in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New York, Sarah secretly aided and abetted her husband, fighting alongside him against his accusers. More remarkable still was that Sarah not only survived the tragedy wrought by her infamous husband’s deeds, but went on to live a successful and productive life as one of New York’s most prominent citizens.

Marshaling in newly discovered primary-source documents from archives in London, New York and Boston, historian and journalist Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos reconstructs the extraordinary life of Sarah Kidd, uncovering a rare example of the kind of life that pirate wives lived during the Golden Age of Piracy. A compelling tale of love, treasure, motherhood and survival, this landmark work of narrative nonfiction weaves together the personal and the epic in a sweeping historical story of romance and adventure.

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I will preface my review by saying that I actually thought it was an historical fiction account of Sarah Kidd dressed up as a biography, not an actual biography.

It was an interesting read to get to "know" Sarah Kidd - details of her life before, during and after Kidd will be of interest. And hers is a story of survival and of a woman stepping beyond the social norms of her day to carve out her own destiny.

Having said that, there was much that could have been left out, including the almost mind-numbing account of Kidd's return, arrest and trial, which felt like it took up half the book due to the excessive amount of detail. I get that, based upon her surname, her time with the notorious pirate would be the drawcard - I mean, who would read a biography of some woman named Sarah: Cox, Oort or Rousby (her other married names)?

For me, as I mentioned, I thought it was a work of fiction - that just how it read. And maybe, it might have worked better as such.

Review: The Ruling Families of Rus by Christian Raffensperger & Donald Ostrowski

Synopsis: A new history of the Kyivan Rus, a medieval dynastic state in eastern Europe.

Kyivan Rus’ was a state in northeastern Europe from the late ninth to the mid-sixteenth century that encompassed a variety of peoples, including Lithuanians, Polish, and Ottomans. The Ruling Families of Rus explores the region’s history through local families, revealing how the concept of family rule developed over the centuries into what we understand as dynasties today. Examining a broad range of archival sources, the authors examine the development of Rus, Lithuania, Muscovy, and Tver and their relationships with the Mongols, Byzantines, and others. The Ruling Families of Rus will appeal to scholars interested in the medieval history of eastern Europe.

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The object of this book is to explore family rule and how it "morphed through the centuries" into the concept of dynasty - with the main focus on the ruling families of Kievan Rus.

The author begins each chapter with a summary of intent before expounding upon a more detailed study. We begin with some background to the Kingdom of Rus, its establishment and their key characters. I would suggest a rudimentary knowledge of this particular segment of history though the author does provide a genealogy of those being discussed.

Chapter Two identifies the key principle being used in the book and why these are orientated around family ties, issues of succession and inheritance. Also under discussion are the "descent myths" and legitimacy of the family line. Here too, Raffensperger challenges historical records.

Then the focus is narrowed down to primary characters such as Volodimer the Christianiser, Fedor/Mstiskav, Vladimir Suzdal, Vsevolod and his Ukrainian rival Roman Mstilavich. Chapter Seven looks at 13th century Novogorod, which leads into the 14th century and the reign of Alexander Nevsky, and Kyiv and its rulers.

Chapter Ten focuses on the women. Raffensperger says: ". relationships among ruling families were defined by the wives, mothers and daughters of the rulers, both through alliance formed by marriage and, more directly, through the influence of particularly well-placed, politically astute women .." This becomes an equally important chapter when discussing families and dynasties.

The final two chapters cover off the rule of Dimitri Donskoi in Moscow, and the aftermath of inter-clan conflict between Vasilii II and Iurii in the 15th century; whilst the Epilogue discusses the end of clan rule in Moscow in the late 16th century.

All in all, I found this to be a fascinating read - the subject matter was right up my alley as I have a number of books on this period myself. I myself did not struggle with the content however, as mentioned beforehand, a rudimentary knowledge would be advantageous for a new reader.

Review: The City of the Living by Nicola Lagioia

Synopsis: In March 2016, in an apartment on the outskirts of Rome, two “ordinary” young men brutally tortured and murdered twenty-two-year-old Luca Varani. News of the seemingly inexplicable crime sent shock-waves across Rome and beyond.

After the crime comes to light, Lagioia begins investigating the crime by meeting with the victim’s family and corresponding with one of the killers. It soon becomes clear, however, that to investigate this crime means to descend into the darkest corners of Rome and of the human psyche.

Lagioia leads us through a maze of betrayed expectations, sexual confusion, economic grievances and identity crises to locate the breaking point, the point after which anything is possible.

Sharp, hypnotic, devastating, The City of The Living is not just the story of a crime, but of human nature the tension between responsibility and guilt, between the drive to oppress and the desire to be free, between who we are and who we can become.

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An auto-fictional account of a much publicised murder that occurred in 2016 in Rome, Italy. The first part of the account, told in the third person narrative, deals with the crime, the arrest. The second part, told in the first person narrative, continues on, and is punctuated by personal recollections and statement of friends. The reconstruction includes legal proceedings, reports, interviews and other evidence. It is written in a style that sort of plays out events as they are happening.

Unfortunately, I was not at all engaged with the writing style or presentation. I did persevere till the end but there really was no really interest except to finish.

Review: Dracul - Of The Father by A Brackob

Synopsis: For the first time the true story of the man who founded the Dracula dynasty is revealed.

Stories of Dracula have fascinated people around the world for generations. Both the fictional vampire created by the Irish author Bram Stoker at the end of the nineteenth century and the fifteenth century Prince called Vlad the Impaler, the man regarded as the historical Dracula, have become part of universal culture. Yet few realize that the Wallachian ruler dubbed “the Impaler,” is not the original Dracula. Instead, that distinction belongs to his father, a little-known prince called Vlad Dracul. 

The elder Vlad, who gained the sobriquet Dracul or Dracula when Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg initiated him into the Order of the Dragon in February 1431, was among the most important political personalities of his day. He far surpassed his more famous namesake in those qualities that define a great ruler.

Several books have been devoted to the study of his famous son, Vlad the Impaler, but any search for the historical Dracula must begin with the story of the father. Now, for the first time, based on extensive documentary research, the true story of the man who founded the Dracula dynasty is revealed.

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A rather comprehensive history of the Eastern European region, especially as it relates to its overall interactions with the Ottoman Empire. In addition, it is also a rather detail biography on not only the father of the infamous Vlad the Impaler - Vlad Dracul - but also of his equally important grandfather, Mircea the Old.

The author begins with the origins of the epithet "Dracul"; the realm of Wallachia - administration, history, towns, people - as it was under the dynasty; before providing a more broader study of the area, including a focus on its invaders and conquerors, an understanding of regional warfare, and its interactions with the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century.

Chapter Four is dedicated to Mircea the Old - the father of Vlad Dracul and grandfather of Vlad the Impaler. There is a lot going on under Mircea - his ongoing relationships with not only the Ottomans, but also Hungary and Poland. It serves as study of resilience, tenacity and politicking, a trait that his son and successor, Vlad Dracul would also possess.

Civil War in Walachia prevails upon the death of Mircea; the realm is consistently plundered and subjugated as rivals within the ruling family battle it out for supremacy, often with the backing of Wallachia's rival empires. Pretenders are brought forward at various times; hostages are taken; power is consolidated.

Ultimately, Vlad Dracul is successful in attaining Wallachia and successfully repelling its Ottoman invaders. Much of Vlad's military career was set against both the Ottomans (both allies and enemies), and a man who would become his most bitter rival - Jan Hunyadi. At various times, both European rulers and the Papacy call for a Crusade - Vlad is both participant and also an observer.

The dynasty of Vlad Dracul lived in an extraordinary turbulent time in history. Danger was everywhere - there was threats from the Ottomans, the Plague, rival neighbours; there was disunity among the Christian rulers; the Reformation was taking shape; the fall of Byzantium was inevitable; intrigue, suspense, betrayal and warfare were prevalent. Wallachia was literally surrounded by enemies, and its rulers made alliances as the need arose - sometimes those allies were enemies - other times they were both. It was remarkable to discover how these two men - Mircea and Vlad Dracul - were able to navigate the politics of the day. Both were statesmen and military commanders beyond the compare; both were wise, tenacious, and beloved of their people.

This is a worthy addition for anyone whose area of study is not only this region of Eastern Europe, but also this particular ruling family.  A worthy tome to sit beside my copy of the biography of the grandson of Mircea - Vlad the Impaler.

See also: "Mircea the Old" by AK Brackob

2023 in Review

Just a quick recap of my reading for 2023. I didn't get through as many books as I would have liked due to studying, but I did manage around 50 or so over the year. You can find my reading list here at Goodreads - My Year In Review.

There were some definitely stand-outs, some that missed the mark, some the became formulaic the more of a particular author (and authors from the same publisher) that I read, and some that completely failed to engage me as much as I thought they would.

My two stand-outs for this year are:

Dogboy V Catfish by Lucas Gracias

The Counterfeit Countess by Elizabeth B White & Joanna Sliwa

Both books are highly recommended reading!

In other news, I have unsubscribed from a number of "book lists" - their offerings have failed to grab my attention, and am currently reviewing (pardon the pun) books I select for reviewing as I have been sorely disappointed in my chosen selections this year. For the next year, I will no longer feel need / compulsion to finish a book that fails to engage me, but will instead invest in those that do. I will also be culling my book / reading groups that I no longer engage in myself.

I hope that you - the reader - have embarked upon your own reading journey this year and have found it rewarding.

Review: The Counterfeit Countess by Elzabeth White & Joanna Sliwa

Synopsis: The astonishing story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg—a Jewish mathematician who saved thousands of lives in Nazi-occupied Poland by masquerading as a Polish aristocrat—drawing on Mehlberg’s own unpublished memoir.

World War II and the Holocaust have given rise to many stories of resistance and rescue, but The Counterfeit Countess is unique. It tells the remarkable, unknown story of “Countess Janina Suchodolska,” a Jewish woman who rescued more than 10,000 Poles imprisoned by Poland’s Nazi occupiers.

Mehlberg operated in Lublin, Poland, headquarters of Aktion Reinhard, the SS operation that murdered 1.7 million Jews in occupied Poland. Using the identity papers of a Polish aristocrat, she worked as a welfare official while also serving in the Polish resistance. With guile, cajolery, and steely persistence, the “Countess” persuaded SS officials to release thousands of Poles from the Majdanek concentration camp. She won permission to deliver food and medicine—even decorated Christmas trees—for thousands more of the camp’s prisoners. At the same time, she personally smuggled supplies and messages to resistance fighters imprisoned at Majdanek, where 63,000 Jews were murdered in gas chambers and shooting pits. Incredibly, she eluded detection, and ultimately survived the war and emigrated to the US.

Drawing on the manuscript of Mehlberg’s own unpublished memoir, supplemented with prodigious research, Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa, professional historians and Holocaust experts, have uncovered the full story of this remarkable woman. They interweave Mehlberg’s sometimes harrowing personal testimony with broader historical narrative. Like The Light of Days , Schindler’s List , and Irena’s Children , The Counterfeit Countess is an unforgettable account of inspiring courage in the face of unspeakable cruelty.

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The story of how one Jewish woman took on the Nazis, and came out the other side.

Much of what is written about Dr Josephine Mehlberg - aka Countess Janina Suchodolska - is based upon her own memoirs and what the authors could verify, as her story is without a doubt, fantastic. Here was this fearless Polish, Jewish woman who took on the persona of a Countess, worked for the Resistance in Poland, and then had the audacity and wherewithal to take on the might of the Nazis on behalf of the Jews held at the Majdanek concentration camp. And she survived it all!

"Janina" defied stereotypes - she was so concerned for the welfare of those at the concentration camp, that she took on this alter-ego of the Countess and literally badgered the officials into allowing her to feed the inmates and improve conditions. Along the way we learn of Janina's early life before the war and what became of her after it. A remarkable woman who observed instances of the human capacity to perform logically irreconcilable acts, and whose heroic achievements in the face of all this, became renowned long after they occurred, and set the standard for humanity. I am literally in awe of this woman.

Highly recommended reading - and one of my favourite reads for the year!

Review: The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

Synopsis: This immersive holiday caper from the “modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Times, London) follows the hilarious Fairway Players theater group as they put on a Christmas play—and solve a murder that threatens their production.

The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters, examine emails, and pore over police transcripts to identify both the victim and killer before the curtain closes on their holiday production—for good.

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Written along the same style as The Appeal by the same author, this was a more engaging read as it was, quite simply, more concise that the first in the series.

Again, the author uses all the "modern day" electronic forms of communication to set out and ultimately solve this little christmas mystery.

Review: The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison

Synopsis: A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.

Italy, 1351. English knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards their future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.

In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing the enigmatic woman who is the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception... and a burning desire for freedom.

Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save her family's legacy... and to do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

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This second book follows on from the first - The Lawless Land - with ex-communicated Templar and English knight Gerard Fox and his companion, the ever resourceful Willa, now in Italy and on the trail of the hidden Templar treasure.

There is a bit of back and forth between the final days of the Templars in Paris (1314) and the "contemporary" storyline (1351) as the backstory and characters are introduced to and fleshed out for, the reader. There is the usual "cat and mouse" scenario as the details of the secret as slowly teased out, before the final stand-off, and a new adventure for our dynamic duo.

Its a fun, medieval action adventure to while away a couple of lazy days!

Review: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Synopsis: Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels, the cult that brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and baby disappeared. 

Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen; finding them will be the true-crime scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and also on the baby’s trail. As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it.

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Two rival crime authors must collaborate to seek the truth about a mysterious cult. Who will live to write about it and will all be revealed or hidden once again.

The story format is told by way of more modern forms of communication - whatsapp messages, texts, emails, sticky notes, transcribed interviews etc. We don't actually "meet" the to rivals in the flesh, so to speak. I am not really a fan of this style of narrative - and found myself taking longer to read than I usually would. However, the story was engaging enough that I was compelled to read on until the mystery was solved.

Review: Dogboy V Catfish by Luke Gracias

Synopsis: On the day of her second wedding, Katherine Fisher, aka 'Catfish' set the date for her divorce. In precisely 18 months, she would be entitled to half of their combined assets and receive maintenance payments until her five- year-old daughter, Emma, turns 18. Just as Catfish was about to take her husband, Lindsay 'Dogboy' Kramer (a successful businessman and dog whisperer) to the cleaners, he goes missing.

The police investigation into Dogboy's disappearance leads them into the dark world of counterfeit designer goods, money laundering, and drug smuggling. With Dogboy's assets frozen and the mob protecting their interests, the missing persons case escalates to homicide. Catfish is in a race against time to get hold of Dogboy's assets before the police get hold of her.

One question remains - is Dogboy dead or alive?

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This is my "read" of the year!

Gracias' excellent narrative provides for an engaging and thrilling "whodunnit" when a former beauty queen marries a loner for his money and begins divorce proceedings before the ink has even dried on the marriage certificate. Unfortunately, said bride soon finds that everything she thought she was getting, quickly turns to dust and slips through her fingers as her sordid past comes back to bite her in the arse.

This is a departure from Gracias' other two books - but it is a strong stand-alone. I read this in one sitting - driven by the compulsion to keep reading and wanting to know the fate Dogboy. For someone to win, someone must lose - would it be Dogboy or Catfish?.

Review: The Kingmaker's Women by Julia Hickey

Synopsis: They were supposed to be pious, fruitful and submissive. The wealthiest women in the kingdom, Anne Beauchamp and her daughters were at the heart of bitter inheritance disputes. Well educated and extravagant, they lived in style and splendour but were forced to navigate their lives around the unpredictable clashes of the Cousins’ War. Were they pawns or did they exert an influence of their own?

The twists and turns of Fate as well as the dynastic ambitions of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick saw Isabel married without royal permission to the Yorkist heir presumptive, George Duke of Clarence. Anne Neville was married to Edward of Lancaster, the only son of King Henry VI when her father turned his coat. One or the other was destined to become queen. Even so, the Countess of Warwick, heiress to one of the richest titles in England, could not avoid being declared legally dead so that her sons-in-law could take control of her titles and estates.

Tragic Isabel, beloved by her husband, would experience the dangers of childbirth and on her death, her midwife was accused of witchcraft and murder. Her children both faced a traitor’s death because of their Plantagenet blood. Anne Neville became the wife of Richard, Duke of Gloucester having survived a forced march, widowhood and the ambitions of Isabel’s husband. When Gloucester took the throne as Richard III, she would become Shakespeare’s tragic queen. The women behind the myth suffered misfortune and loss but fulfilled their domestic duties in the brutal world they inhabited and fought by the means available to them for what they believed to be rightfully their own.

The lives of Countess Anne and her daughters have much to say about marriage, childbirth and survival of aristocratic women in the fifteenth century.

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Hickey makes the statement: "... identity and importance came from their role as daughters, and , later, as wives of the great and the good ...". Whilst true of the period, and of the periods both before and after, it is a rather disappointing one to make if you are writing a book that focuses on, brings to the fore, the women who were central in the events known as the Wars of the Roses.

However, as the blurb tells us from the beginning: "The lives of Countess Anne and her daughters have much to say about marriage, childbirth and survival of aristocratic women in the fifteenth century." Unfortunately it is the reverse - the author has much to say on marriage, childbirth and domesticity in the fifteenth century, but very little on her chosen subjects. 

We know there is no documentary trail for us to follow with regards to specifics for these women, and as such, Hickey provides generalities, assumptions and comparisons based on known contemporary sources.

Like many other authors, where the information is just not present, the focus turns to the more documented males and the usual genealogical information (who married who, who inherited what, etc).

The work is taken up to the period of the death of Anne Neville, and finishes up with a brief recap as to what was next for Anne Beauchamp and the fate of her grandchildren under the Tudors. And Hickey does provide the usual accompaniments - family tree, period timeline, a who's who, notes and pictures for those interested. 

Unfortunately, for me - personally - I found nothing new; nothing that I did not already know from my own extensive reading, and nothing that could not be found in even the most general history of the Wars of the Roses. For the newcomer, however, this book would make a good starting point - for the more well-read looking for specifics and more details, then less so.

The King's Revenge by Don Jordan

When Charles I was executed, his son made it his role to seek out retribution, producing the biggest manhunt Britain had ever seen, one that would span Europe and America and would last for thirty years. When he ascended to the throne in 1660 as Charles II, his search for revenge intensified, with show trials in London and assassination squads scouring foreign countries. Many of the most senior figures in England were hanged, drawn and quartered; imprisoned for life; or consigned to a self-imposed exile, in constant fear of the assassin's bullet.

History has painted the regicides and their supporters as fanatics, but among them were exceptional men, including John Milton, poetic genius and political propagandist; Oliver Cromwell's steely son-in-law, Henry Ireton; and the errant son of an earl, Algernon Sidney, whose writings helped inspire the founders of the American Revolution. Cromwell himself was subjected to the most bizarre symbolic revenge when—though long-dead—his body was disinterred and beheaded.

Set in an age of intrigue and betrayal, The King's Revenge brings these remarkable figures vividly to life in an engrossing tale of ambition, double agents, and espionage.

A Fine Madness by Alan Judd

A captivating espionage novel that explores the life of theatrical genius—and spy—Christopher Marlowe, whose violent death remains one of the most fascinating mysteries of the Elizabethan Age.

In Elizabethan England, the queen’s chief spymaster, Francis Walsingham, and his team of agents must maintain the highest levels of vigilance to ward off Catholic plots and an ever-present threat of invasion from Spain.

One agent in particular—a young Cambridge undergraduate of humble origins, controversial beliefs, and literary genius who goes by the name of Kit Marlowe—is relentless in his pursuit of intelligence for the Crown. When he is killed outside an inn in Deptford, his mysterious death becomes the subject of rumor and suspicion that are never satisfactorily resolved.

Years later, when Thomas Phelippes, a former colleague of Marlowe’s, finds himself imprisoned in the Tower of London, there is one thing that might give him his freedom back. He must give the king every detail he is able to recall about his murdered friend’s life—and death. But why is King James so fascinated about Kit Marlowe—and does Phelippes know enough to secure his own redemption?

The House of Dudley by Joanne Paul

The shocking and extraordinary story of the most conniving, manipulative Tudor family you've never heard of—the dashing and daring House of Dudley.

Each Tudor monarch made their name with a Dudley by their side—or by crushing one beneath their feet.

The Dudleys thrived at the court of Henry VII, but were sacrificed to the popularity of Henry VIII. Rising to prominence in the reign of Edward VI, the Dudleys lost it all by advancing Jane Grey to the throne over Mary I. That was until the reign of Elizabeth I, when the family was once again at the center of power, and would do anything to remain there. . . .

With three generations of felled favorites, what was it that caused this family to keep rising so high and falling so low?

Here, for the first time, is the story of England's Borgias, a noble house competing in a murderous game for the English throne. Witness cunning, adultery, and sheer audacity from history's most brilliant, bold, and deceitful family.

The Shadow King by Lauren Johnson

A thrilling new account of the tragic story and troubled times of Henry VI, who inherited the crowns of both England and France and lost both.

Firstborn son of a warrior father who defeated the French at Agincourt, Henry VI of the House of Lancaster inherited the crown not only of England but also of France, at a time when Plantagenet dominance over the Valois dynasty was at its glorious height.

And yet, by the time he died in the Tower of London in 1471, France was lost, his throne had been seized by his rival, Edward IV of the House of York, and his kingdom had descended into the violent chaos of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VI is perhaps the most troubled of English monarchs, a pious, gentle, well-intentioned man who was plagued by bouts of mental illness. In The Shadow King, Lauren Johnson tells his remarkable and sometimes shocking story in a fast-paced and colorful narrative that captures both the poignancy of Henry’s life and the tumultuous and bloody nature of the times in which he lived.

Royal Witches by Gemma Hollman

The stories of four royal women, their lives intertwined by family and bound by persecution, unravel the history of witchcraft in fifteenth-century England.

Until the mass hysteria of the seventeenth century, accusations of witchcraft in England were rare. However, four royal women, related in family and in court ties— Joan of Navarre, Eleanor Cobham, Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Elizabeth Woodville —were accused of practicing witchcraft in order to kill or influence the king.

Some of these women may have turned to the “dark arts” in order to divine the future or obtain healing potions, but the purpose of the accusations was purely political. Despite their status, these women were vulnerable because of their gender, as the men around them moved them like pawns for political gains.

In Royal Witches, Gemma Hollman explores the lives and the cases of these so-called witches, placing them in the historical context of fifteenth-century England, a setting rife with political upheaval and war. In a time when the line between science and magic was blurred, these trials offer a tantalizing insight into how malicious magic would be used and would later cause such mass hysteria in centuries to come.

Cromwell's Spy by Dennis Sewell

A vivid biography of the elusive George Downing, a Puritan from colonial Massachusetts who became Oliver Cromwell's chief spy and a key figure in the Restoration.

Downing Street is synonymous with political power, perhaps only second to Pennsylvania Avenue. But for the builder behind one of the world's most famous streets—George Downing—it was a mere retirement project.

Throughout his storied life, Downing would be a soldier, a politician, a diplomat, and a spy. He came of age as a pioneer in colonial Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard, crossed the Atlantic to sign up for the English Civil War and fast became Oliver Cromwell’s chief of military intelligence. He was one of a close group of now-forgotten Americans in Cromwell’s circle who exerted enormous influence upon English political life during their Civil War.

Throughout his life, Downing was always at the center of events, engaging with the most illustrious men and women of his times. His uncle was the governor of Massachusetts; his cousin the governor of Connecticut. In England, his patrons were Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II. The famous diarist, Samuel Pepys, was his clerk; the great poet, John Milton, prepared his letters and dispatches. William of Orange was godfather to his son; his next-door neighbor was Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia; and when Downing finally built his street, his surveyor was Sir Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul’s Cathedral.

He would leave his mark on American soil as well. He played a key role in the founding of New York by helping to wrest Manhattan and Long Island from the Dutch. Yet he remains one of the most elusive figures of his age. In Dennis Sewell's rich and vivid Cromwell's Spymaster, Downing emerges as the extraordinary, enigmatic, and endlessly fascinating anti-hero of his own life story.

Review: Murder By Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge

Synopsis: In this engaging historical mystery, Agatha Christie’s ever-capable housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, not only keeps the celebrated author’s English country home in tip-top shape, she excels as an amateur sleuth. But when a murder-themed game goes awry, can she outfox the guilty party?“A murder will occur tonight at Beecham House . . .” Who could resist such a compelling invitation? Of course, the murder in question purports to be a party game, and Phyllida looks forward to using some of the deductive skills she has acquired thanks to her employer, Mrs. Agatha, who is unable to attend in person.

The hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Wokesley, are new to the area, and Phyllida gladly offers their own overwhelmed housekeeper some guidance while events get underway. Family friends have been enlisted to play the suspects, and Mr. Wokesley excels in his role of dead body. Unfortunately, when the game’s solution is about to be unveiled, the participants discover that life has imitated art. Mr. Wokesley really is dead!

In the absence of Inspector Cork, Phyllida takes temporary charge of the investigation, guiding the local constable through interviews with the Murder Game actors. At first, there seems no motive to want Mr. Wokesley dead . . . but then Phyllida begins to connect each of the suspects with the roles they played and the motives assigned to them. It soon becomes clear that everyone had a reason to murder their host—both in the game and in real life. Before long, Phyllida is embroiled in a fiendishly puzzling case, with a killer who refuses to play by the rules . . .

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Unfortunately, yet another book that I found myself far from being as engaged as I thought I would be. I mean, a mystery set at the time of one of my favourite authors - Agatha Christie - using the person of her housekeeper as the main character, and from who's "adventures in crime" Agatha bases her own stories around. This outting - I believe to be the second or third in a potential series - becomes the inspiration for Agatha's book, A Death Is Announced.

For sake of continuity, I would suggest reading this series from the start and not jumping in somewhere is the middle. I also found no connection with any of the characters, including Agatha herself.

Review: Neferura by Malayna Evans

Synopsis: There are many paths to power. They all come with a price.

Neferura, princess and high priestess of Kemet, knows her duty is to her people. When your mother is the great Pharaoh, it is hard to forget. But Neferura's unique position at court comes with high stakes for her country, especially when she's forced to serve her vile half-brother, a man determined to stop Neferura's potential rise.

Peace, it seems, never lasts for women who wield power in the open. Especially when they cross a vengeful man.

When Neferura overhears Thutmose's plot to end her mother's rule, she knows he must be stopped, no matter the cost. The discovery of a mysterious tattooed wise-woman and her shadowy network of spies offers an uneasy alliance. But the wise-woman wields more power than Neferura knew possible—power with the potential to rival her own. Neferura must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant.

~ ~ ~

Honestly, I was not as engaged as I thought I would be. I love Hatshepsut - so the fate of her daughter quite naturally intrigued me, even if from an historical fiction perspective. I am even open to "alternate" conclusions as to the fate of an equally enigmatic historical figure; however, this just didn't do it for me.

I would most likely suggest that the intended audience is teens / young adults as it certainly was not up to the standard I would expect from a work of historical fiction aimed at an adult audience, especially an audience seeking out something out of the box (and for which they themselves have some knowledge about).

Kudos for taking on Neferura though, and for the line taken to explain her sudden and mysterious disappearance from history, but as I said from the outset - I was not overly engaged.

Review: The Murder of Alexander Litvinenko by Boris Volodarsky

Synopsis: In his famous Moonlight and Vodka , Chris de Burgh got it Espionage is a serious business. And like every serious business, it must be taken seriously. Less than two decades after the untimely death of Sasha Litvinenko, poisoned at the heart of London’s Mayfair by Russian secret agents by the previously unknown radioactive substance containing a fatal dose of Polonium-210, it is hardly remembered by anyone in the West. No wonder, we live in an information-rich world when the wealth of information means a dearth of something a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. Such an obvious thing was suddenly discovered by a simple old man from Milwaukee, and he’s got a point there.

This book is about the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, whose legal case seems to many people like open-and-shut. Even to his widow Marina and their son. To MI6, MI5 and the Special Operations branch of the London’s Metropolitan Police who presented it to the public as thoroughly investigated and closed. To judge Sir Robert Owen appointed to hold the inquest “into the death of a Russian Spy” as the BBC and other media has put it – a terrible mistake. To journalists and writers who had been following this case for as long as a decade, not to mention the prime suspect living a good life in Moscow. But not for me. For me this case remains open.

~ ~ ~

The death of Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko on 23 November 2006, after being poisoned with polonium-210 made headlines worldwide. Litvinenko was a senior investigating officer fighting organised crime and corruption in Russia before rebelling, being imprisoned and ultimately escaping and defecting to the UK, where he worked as a journalist, activist,and commentator.

However, Volodarsky's book is far from a straight forward piece of investigative journalism - which is disappointing as the author's views might have been better served had he followed this well-worn path.

For the reader, there is a lot of information of the state of Russian politics prior to Litvinenko - we begin with a brief summary of events, the author's further questions, the rise of Putin and then the focus centers on Boris Berezovsky. I seriously wondered when the author was actually going to get around to Litvinenko. The fact the there was such a focus on Berezovsky rather than Litvinenko ensured that I became rather disenchanted with the whole tme. I did push on till then end, but Volodarsky provides nothing that a google or wikipedia search could not provide. Litvinenko was never the main focus - he should have been.

Whilst I myself was deeply intrigued by the whole Litvinenko saga as it was played out in real time (at the time), this particular tome barely satisfied my curiosity and the conspiracy theorist in me.

The White Ship by Nicholas Salaman

Based on a true story, this tale of passion and revenge brings the past to life. Normandy in 1118 is a hotbed of malcontent barons kept in fragile order by Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Fresh from early years in a monastery, Berthold - the bastard son of one of these barons - meets Juliana, a countess and daughter of the King. He falls in love, or lust (he isn’t sure), but sees that his chance could come with work in her small court. Soon, though, he finds himself caught up in a ruthless feud between Juliana and her father. Juliana's daughters are offered as hostages for a strategic castle, and even love is not enough to allay a tragedy that will change the course of history.

For all fans of historical fiction and especially readers of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth 

Vikings of the Irish Sea by David Griffiths

"Vikings of the Irish Sea: Conflict and Assimilation Ad 790-1050" looks at the activities of the Vikings in the Irish Sea, a band of water that has been important since prehistoric times in the history of maritime cultural exchange between Britain and Ireland as well as the Scandinavian countries. The Vikings fully exploited their naval dominance to exert their influence across this area and David Griffiths presents a unique overview of the results of this dominance. 

The book will look, in detail at the activities of the Vikings in Wales, North West England, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Ireland. The archaeological evidence such as silver hoards and burials, along with the evidence of place-names, settlement and sculpture provide a fascinating insight into the mechanisms of Viking power in these areas.

Charles Dickens Investigates - Series by JC Briggs

Author JC Briggs writes historical crime fiction. Her amateur detective is none other than the great Victorian novelist, Charles Dickens. Dickens was fascinated by crime and murder. He went out with the London Police into the grim slums of London and visited the police stations to see how they all worked. According to a recent biographer, Dickens would have enjoyed being a detective. I gave him his wish. He makes a good detective - he is very observant, very clever at working out motive and following the clues with his partner, Superintendent Jones of Bow Street. And Victorian London is a great setting for a murder mystery - all that fog and very sinister alleys. All the books are based on something which really happened in Dickens's life.

The series in order is as follows:

The Murder of Patience Brooke

London 1849: Charles Dickens has set up Urania Cottage as a sanctuary for fallen women. But he is shocked when the matron’s assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood.

Death at Hungerford Stairs

London 1849: When a boy is found drowned in the River Thames at Hungerford Stairs, novelist Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones of Bow Street are mystified to discover that the child is not the missing youngster for whom they have been searching.

Murder by Ghostlight

London 1859: Charles Dickens is in Manchester, performing at the Queen’s Theatre with his acting group. But his career on the stage is cut short when a man is shot dead – on set.

The Quickening and the Dead

London 1850: Lavinia Gray vanishes on the eve of her wedding and is found drowned. Evie Finch dies of septicaemia in a filthy lodging house. Annie Deverall, a fifteen-year-old milliner’s apprentice is on remand in Newgate, accused of murdering the Doctor Lancelot Plume. Three young girls' lives have been ruined, but could they be connected somehow?

At Midnight in Venice

London 1850: An Italian music master and an English governess disappear from the house of Sir Neptune Fane, a prominent Member of Parliament. A female skeleton is found in a disused water tank behind a house which has been empty for five years. Her neck had been broken and found with a jeweled chain around it.

The Redemption Murders

London 1851: The Thames River Police are called to The Redemption, a ship docked at London’s Blackwall Reach. Louis Valentine, the ship’s captain, has been stabbed to death.

The Mystery of the Hawke Sapphire

London 1851: On his deathbed, the sinister Sir Gerald Hawke asks a distant cousin — Reverend Meredith Case — to find Sapphire, his long-lost ward and heir to the Hawke family jewels. Concerned for her welfare, Meredith vows to discover where Sapphire disappeared to.

The Chinese Puzzle

London 1851: The Great Exhibition has opened, and everyone is flocking to see the wonders on display. But when a potential Chinese assassin manages to get up close to Queen Victoria, and then vanishes without a trace, the Prime Minister orders an urgent investigation.

Summons to Murder

London 1851: Pierce Mallory, a gentleman journalist, is found dead in his lodgings with a gunshot wound in his head and a duelling pistol beside him. Though the death is deemed a suicide, Mallory’s friends — including Charles Dickens — don’t believe that he would have taken his own life.

The Jaggard Case

London 1851: With Superintendent Sam Jones away in Southampton on the trail of missing murderer Martin Jaggard, his wife, Elizabeth, enlists the help of Charles Dickens when her beloved servant, Posy, goes missing.

The Waxwork Man

Londong 1851: While visiting Madame Tussaud’s Chamber of Horrors, Charles Dickens crosses paths with Sir Fabian Quarterman, a judge famed for his ruthlessness in court. Then Fabian is found dead.

Murder by Magic

A short story featuring Charles Dickens and his friend, Superintendent Jones of Bow Street must find a serial killer before he murders again.

More details about each book can be found at the website of JC Briggs

Review: The Vanished Settlers of Greenland by Robert Rix

Synopsis: For four hundred years, Norse settlers battled to make southern Greenland a new, sustainable home. They strove against gales and winter cold, food shortages and in the end a shifting climate. The remnants they left behind speak of their determination to wrest an existence at the foot of this vast, icy and challenging wilderness. Yet finally, seemingly suddenly, they vanished; and their mysterious disappearance in the fifteenth century has posed a riddle to scholars ever since. What happened to the lost Viking colonists? For centuries people assumed their descendants could still be living, so expeditions went to find them: to no avail. Robert Rix tells the gripping story of the missing pioneers, placing their poignant history in the context of cultural discourse and imperial politics. Ranging across fiction, poetry, navigation, reception and tales of exploration, he expertly delves into one of the most contested questions in the annals of colonization.

~ ~ ~

I came to this one through my reading of some of the medieval explorers - John de Mandeville, Marco Polo, Hugh Willoughby, Walter Raleigh and their ilk. And like many readers, I was fascinated by tales of lost cities of incalcuable wealth, whose demise was a mystery - shades of Atlantis, Crete, El Dorado, isolated worlds and utopias, and even Roanoke. So it was with keen anticipation that I was able to pick up this tome.

The scholarly tome is not a "search for" but a "look at" how this particular settlement of Greenland - or rather it vanished Norse settlement - became a cultural memory. This book provides a study of ".. how the memory of Greenland's "lost colony" was transmitted, interpreted and negotiated from the late sixteenth to the early twentieth century." In short, it looks at the Wests fascination and imagination of the Arctic and its peoples; it is a study of European misconceptions, legends, folklores; and of how contemporary scholarship fueled the germination of these legends. Rix then examines the cultivation of memories of the past and how they are often driven by national and geographical motivations before considering the "master trope" of the fabled lost settlement.

For those looking for something different - an analysis of the European interpretations of history and an idealised, poetic imagery of a land and its people that metamorphosed into fantastical whimsy presented as fact, then this is for you.

Review: Messalina by Honor Cargill-Martin

Synopsis: This is the story of Messalina – third wife of Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women to have inhabited the Roman world.

The scandalous image of the Empress Messalina as a ruthless and sexually insatiable schemer, derived from the work of Roman historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius, has taken deep root in the Western imagination. The stories they told about her included nightly visits to a brothel and a twenty-four-hour sex competition with a prostitute. Tales like these have defined the empress's legacy, but her real story is much more complex.

In her new life of Messalina, the classicist Honor Cargill-Martin reappraises one of the most slandered and underestimated female figures of ancient history. Looking beyond the salacious anecdotes, she finds a woman battling to assert her position in the overwhelmingly male world of imperial Roman politics – and succeeding. Intelligent, passionate, and ruthless when she needed to be, Messalina's story encapsulates the cut-throat political manoeuvring and unimaginable luxury of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in its heyday.

Cargill-Martin sets out not to 'salvage' Messalina's reputation, but to look at her life in the context of her time. Above all, she seeks to reclaim the humanity of a life story previously circumscribed by currents of high politics and patriarchy.

~ ~ ~

Messalina - a name synonomous with notoriety, debauchery, and murder - a woman who - for many - was the epitome of all that was wrong with the Roman Empire. And like Jezebel and Eve, her reputation will be forever darkened, with no hope of redemption.

With her tome on Messalina, author Cargill-Martin has three main intents: she wants the reader to look at Messalina in the overall context of the period and her husband Claudius' reign; she seeks to address and examine Messalina's role; and she wants the explain to the reader the bias of the contemporary sources.

A quick google search will bring up a font of information on Messalina. For instance, Encyclopedia Britannica answers the question "what was Messalina famous for?" as:

Messalina Valeria, Messalina also spelled Messallina, (born before ad 20—died 48), third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, notorious for licentious behaviour and instigating murderous court intrigues.

Whilst Encyclopedia dot com describes her as thus:

Roman empress, notorious for deviously influencing political affairs and for sexual indiscretions, who was executed for an alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow her husband Emperor Claudius.

Even good old Wikpedia uses language such as:

Messalina enters history with a reputation as ruthless, predatory and sexually insatiable ....

To give Wiki its due, it does at least list the original sources at the bottom of the article for those interested.

Messalin'a reputation - whether deserved or not - has already been decided for us, the reader, her behaviour spread out before us in great detail (akin to her legs in her competition with Rome's leading prostitute) by those writing her story. My questions is - did any of these contemporary (male) writers look at her behaviour in any form of context - or like today, did the downfall of the great and powerful make such good fodder for scandal?

Statue de Messaline par Eugène Cyrille Brunet

Lets be clear from the outset - Messalina is not a feminist role model - there is quite literally, too much sex and murder for her even to be considered as such. Does her reputation need rehabilitating or understanding? Quite possibly the latter. So who in fact was Messalina and what should her legacy look like?.

Cargill-Martin begins with the most obvious - Messalina's name and reputation, her vilification by a misogynistic and hypocritical patriarchy, who following her death, set about bastardising and destroying her history. Cargill-Martin then introduces us to the chroniclers both Greek and Latin - the ones who will tell her story - or at least their version of her story. We know history is written by the victors and written for a specific audience and patron - it was no different in the Classical period. Much of what was written about her was at a period of time when there was great hostility to the Claudio-Julian line. Most relied on second hand accounts, gossip and hearsay, filling in the blanks with fiction to make their tales more popular.

Then we begin ... with the end - the events leading to Messalina's eventual downfall in 48AD before we are catapulted back to Messalina's beginnings, of which very little is known prior to her marriage to Emperor Claudius in 38AD, aged 18 or 20 years old. And thus it is to her family and their position in Roman society that we must first look for clues and anecdotes relating to her childhood. What we do know is that for Roman women and girls, family defined their status and identity. A look at the reign of Emperor Tiberius and the notorious Sejanus follow. I recommended "I Claudius" by Robert Graves if you want a more "user friendly" version of this period, or check it out on YouTube. I remember watching this as a child - so much of an impact it made that I remember it still to this day - and as I was reading Cargill-Martin's book, it was the images and the actors from this series that populated my imagination.

The debauchery that was prevalent in the Roman Imperial Court did not begin nor end with Messalina. She was born into it, grew up within it, learned to survive it, and learned to use it. Cargill-Martin revisits the court of Caligula - "... a court built upon conspicuous consumption and sexual depravity ..." and demonstrates his arbitrary and immediate power over the life and death of his subjects, regardless of status and position. Caligula's reign fostered an atmosphere of fear, intrigue, paranoia, and murderous ambition. This was the court Messalina was forced to navigate as a young bride - her marriage to Claudius did not preclude any favouritism or guarantees of personal safety. So we the reader must see how this court, this reign, may have coloured Messalina's view of power and politics from any early period.

With the assassination of Caligula in 41AD - Claudius is now Roman Emperor. Previously, the likes of Livia and Octavia set the example of the role of women in public life. But now Messalina becomes active in both shaping and promoting the image of her husband's principate, whilst cultivating allies and rooting out and eliminating any threat to her, her children or to Claudius. Like his predecessors, Claudius' reign was born out of intrigue and violence, and relied upon both to maintain its stability.

Many commentators like to criticise Claudius for being in thrall to Messalina. But lets look at this somewhat objectively, Claudius was no catch - he is often described as having a limp and being slight deafness due to sickness at a young age, and he was ostracized by his family and excluded from public office. He was a scholarly hermit getting by - out of sight, out of mind. Messalina was a young, and we may assume, vibrant Roman girl, who entered into an arranged marriage with a dribbling man old enough to be her father. I am sure Claudius couldn't believe his luck!

Anyway, it wasn't just Messalina who held Claudius' attention - he was guided by his self-made men: Callistus, Pallas and Narcissus. These men were also out for power and maintaining that power by whatever means. What role models for the young Messalina! And as mentioned above, Livia was held up to be the epitome of Roman matronhood, a rle-model for an impressionable young girl - and with much hindsight, we all know about Livia!

Following a short-lived rebellion in 42AD, purges of enemies of the regime began - "justice was decidedly bloody" - even though many were starting to fear her power, can this all be attributed to Messalina, I think not. It was around this time that Cargill-Martin notes that Messalina was feeling confident in her position - she had healthy heirs, her rivals were dead or banished, and her position as wife of the Emperor was exalted. And personally, I think it all began to go to her head, and her cycle of self-destruction began from this point onwards.

Cargill-Martin reviews the Roman Laws around adultery and the alleged lovers of Messalina. To play devil's advocate here, one could suppose that so confident in her position was she, that Messalina used adultery as a political tool - a means of creating her own court faction, separate from Claudius' made-men. What is most curious is that around 47AD, Claudius assumes the role of censor - a role tasked with the maintenance of public morality! It has often been asked whether Claudius was aware of or encouraged his wife's immorality. I guess this is an answer only Claudius himself is privy too. I personally, find it hard to believe that he did not and that - at the time - it suited him to turn a blind eye. Messalina was an instrument in coalescing support for and removing enemies of his vulnerable regime - and she would always provide - when the time came - a more than adequate scape-goat.

Cargill-Martin now takes us back to the events leading up to Messalin'a fall. Her adultery is more brazen; the Senate turns on her agents and supporters; her instigation of the murder of one of their own has turned Rome's freeman against her; and then the is the "marriage" ceremony with Silas / Silius.

The historian Tacitus (Tacitus, Annals, 11.26) thus writes:

I know it will seem incredible that, in a city as watchful as Rome, anyone could have felt so safe. Far more so, that on a specified day, with witnesses in attendance, a consul designate and the emperor’s wife should have met for the avowed purpose of legitimate marriage. That the woman should have listened to the words of the auspices, assumed the veil, performed sacrificed to the Heavens. That both should have dined with the guests, have kissed and embraced, and finally have spent the night in the licence of wedlock. But I have added no touch of fantasy: all that I record shall be the oral or written evidence of my seniors.

In what context was this "marriage" performed - as some Bacchanal ritual or a slap in the face to Claudius, was it to gratify her sexual needs or cement an alliance for the protection of herself and her son following Claudius' (eventual) death. Whatever the reason, Claudius had finally had enough - retribution and punishment were swift. Messalina was dispatched.

The Senate then agreed to remove all traces of her existence through a practice we now refer to as damnatio memoriae. Messalina's name was chiseled out of all official inscriptions; coins that bore her name and image were defaced; and many of her portraits were mutilated and vandalized until her likeness became as unrecognizable as her reputation.

Following the death of Messalina, Claudius remarries - this time, his niece Agrippina, mother of Nero. Here Cargill-Martin talks about reputation, and the obvious comparisons between Agrippina and Messalina that written about. Cargill-Martin covers off the period following the death of Claudius in 54AD, the rise of Nero, the assassination of Messalina's son, Britannicus in 55AD, and the fates of the other main players in Messalina's story. The final part of the book looks at the personification of Messalina - the ancient femme fatale, the woman who embodied carnal desire, and her representation by later artists, writers, composers and film-makers.

Messalina is the perfect case study both of the perils of Roman womanhood and of the peculiar sensuous and paranoid world of Rome's first dynasty.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you - the reader - would like to draw aside the curtain and look inside the world that this woman was born into, lived and died in. Look at her life in the  context of this before judging her actions too puritanically. Could you have survived in such an environment and come out smelling like roses?

Read more

Wikipedia - Claudius 

Wikipedia - Messalina

Ancient History Sourcebook