Review: Sicilian Avengers by Luigi Natoli

Synopsis: A thrilling Sicilian saga about the legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia, translated into English for the first time.

Emerging from the dark streets and subterranean caves of Palermo, the Beati Paoli, masked and hooded, mete out their own form of justice to counter the unfettered power and privilege wielded by the aristocracy. For the voiceless, weak, and oppressed, the Beati Paoli are defenders and heroes.

Reminiscent of a Dumas novel, Sicilian Avengers is a vibrant, atmospheric fresco of early eighteenth-century Palermo. Onto the stage of the ancient city, Blasco da Castiglione, a bold, brash, orphan adventurer, arrives on a quest to discover his origins and seek his destiny. But this fearless, swashbuckling D’Artagnan-esque hero unwittingly gets caught up in a devious and murderous succession plot involving a powerful noble family.

When the Beati Paoli hear about this plot to usurp a rightful inheritance, they spring into action. Their shadowy machinations entangle the charismatic Blasco, who crosses paths with a cast of characters that test his loyalty and resolve in the pursuit of his true identity.

The historical accuracy of the novel is complemented by the most meticulous description of Sicily’s capital city ever written. Action-packed and laced with intrigue and chivalrous duels, Sicilian Avengers is a tale of love and hatred, friendship and betrayal, suffering and retribution.

~ ~ ~

The novel is set in Sicily over a period of about 20 years: 1698 - 1718, when Sicily was under both Spanish and Savoyard rule. Sicily at this time was recovering from an outbreak of plague, a serious earthquake, and frequent attacks from the Barbary pirates.

Sicilian Avengers is the story of the conflict between the evil, greedy and ambitious Don Raimondo Albamonte, a Sicilian aristocrat, and the Beati Paoli, a secret, oft times violent, organization committed to punish Don Raimondo for his various crimes.  A battle of good versus evil.  It is also a family saga with the main protagonist, Blasco de Castiglione, following the standard pathway of the "hero's journey", when events and family truths come full circle.

Reader be warned: this is a lengthy tome, combining two books, both well over 500 pages each. This definitely has to be read as a physical book due to both its size and the cast of characters. The writing style may not be to everyone's tastes - the descriptions are detailed and plentiful. No-one can deny that this novel is not well researched.  I do think it would be more enjoyable to the modern reader with a little bit of diplomatic editing to reduce the size whilst maintaining the overall context. 

Review: The Signare of Goree by Laura Rahme

Synopsis: 1846. In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.

The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man's grave?

But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.

Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.

But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.

Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?

~ ~ ~

I finally started this a couple of days ago and finished it today (20 Sept 2024). I would have completed it in one sitting but was rudely interrupted by life.

In the 18th and 19th century, Gorée was home to a Franco-African Creole, or Métis, community of merchants. Métis women, called signares, were descendants of African women and European traders, were especially important to the city's business life. The signares owned ships and property and commanded male clerks. They were also famous for cultivating fashion and entertainment. As the trade in slaves declined in the late eighteenth century, Gorée converted to legitimate commerce. In 1872, Goree became a French commune with an elected mayor and a municipal council.  However, our story is set in the 1840s.

The Signare of Goree is a compelling mystery, dripping in ancient culture and superstitions, the land of Goree and its people sweep evocatively across the pages, as Laura Rahme demonstrates her mastery of story-telling. Without giving too much away, the reader, like Leroux, is beguiled and bewitched by Goree, succumbing to the rhythmic tam-tams and its ancient magic, a distraction from the task at hand - finding a killer that may not be human.

Highly recommended.

Review: The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James

Synopsis: A dazzling magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to save his family, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come, finally, to collect a cosmic debt generations in the making.

In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul.

In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio’s timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors’ crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower.

A family saga that’s epic in scope and magical in its blood, and based loosely on the author’s own great-grandfather, The Bullet Swallower tackles border politics, inter-generational trauma, and the legacies of racism and colonialism in a lush setting and stunning prose that asks who pays for the sins of our ancestors, and whether it is possible to be better than our forebears.

~ ~ ~

"The past is not as far away as you might think; not the future, for that matter - no man lives free from history."

This compelling and engaging family mystery is well structured and narrated. It is a story in which two world will ultimately collide, though both linked through the strands of kinship.  It is both the story of Antonio and Jaime Sonaro and how the past intrudes upon the future - and demands its price.

This story will remain with you long after its been read. In fact, it's one of those books that needs to be re-read straight away to fully appreciate the narrative, which is based upon the author's own family history.

Recommended!!

Review: Dear Arlo by Tom Kreffer

Synopsis: It begins immediately.

There’s no transition period, no trial run, no supervised training, no e-learning module and no simulation that you can f**k up as many times as you need to until you get it right.

As soon as the midwife hands you your newborn baby, you are responsible for keeping it alive.

Picking up moments after Dear Dory ends, Dear Arlo: Adventures in Dadding continues the story of one dad and his journal as he strives to survive the first year of parenthood, blundering his way through bottle-sterilising, night feeds and some cataclysmic nappy changes – all while a pandemic sweeps across the planet.

WARNING: ONCE AGAIN, THIS BOOK CONTAINS A LOT OF SWEARING

Right from the very start Tom asks: " ... we don't just jump into this parenthood gig .. do we? Isn't there some sort of transition phase for new parents? ..."

This self-effacing edition to the "adventures in dadding" series, will put the fear of God into first time dads, whilst bringing tears of laughter to those with their own brood of ankle-biters.

From day one, Tom questions whether or not he should be "... allowed to operate a few minutes old baby ..." , especially given the choice of baby-soothing lullabies (Yogi Bear Song).

Again, we are treated (though I question if that is the right choice of word?) to the daily rituals of feeding, napping changing (including details of the ‘cheeky, up-the-back, explosive shart’), with visits to family, friends, and healthcare professionals that all new parents go through, to first words and first steps unaided.

From Wednesday 12th February 2020:

"Today was great; I was wearing a black T-shirt when you projectile-vomited all over me. Mummy took one look, laughed and told me I looked like a Jackson Pollock painting.".

Kreffer also deals with first-time-parent issues such as leaving baby at home to spend some time together as a couple (code for out on the piss), going on a short holiday, and returning to work. Amid all of this new parent chaos, the dreaded covid is looming on the horizon and we encounter the issues of working from home with an infant under one.

Tom takes us through bed time etiquette:

"He tries to resist, like a victim in a horror movie scraping his nails on the wooden floorboards, but instead of screaming in terror, he giggles and shrieks in delight."

To little accidents:

"... you fell over .... I was holding a hot cup of tea at the time, and when I launched myself to save you from injury, the tea departed the cup and arced perfectly, before swan diving right down my .... " - read on to find out exactly where the tea landed but let us say that men will cringe and shed a small tear.

To the arrival of the first birthday, a father's reflection and a parent's realization that: MEANINGFULNESS + CONTENTMENT = HAPPINESS!

Review: Echoes of War by Tania Blanchard

Synsopsis: Set in Mussolini’s Italy amid great upheaval, this is the story of one woman’s determination to find her place in a world that men are threatening to tear apart. Another heart-rending novel inspired by a true story from Australia's bestselling author of The Girl from Munich.

Calabria, Italy, 1936 - In a remote farming village nestled in the mountains that descend into the sparkling Ionian Sea, young and spirited Giulia Tallariti longs for something more. While she loves her home and her lively family, she would much rather follow in her nonna’s footsteps and pursue her dream of becoming a healer.

But as Mussolini’s focus shifts to the war in Europe, civil unrest looms. Whispers of war are at every corner and her beloved village, once safe from the fascist agenda of the North, is now in very real danger.

Caught between her desire to forge her own path and her duty to her family, Giulia must draw on the passion in her heart and the strength of her conviction.

Can she find a way to fulfill her dreams or will the echoes of war drown out her voice?

Unfortunately not for me.

The main character grated on me - she was way to modern for the period. The narrative dragged on without really much happening then jumped about ten years in the very last part.

In the end I could sum up the whole book in one famous sentence by French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who wrote “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose “ – the more things change, the more they stay the same - which was also the theme of The Leopard.

As a side note, I noticed the same theme running through all her other books - is this a good or bad thing, or just complacency?

Review: The Lane Betrayal by John A Heldt

Synopsis: Virginia physicist Mark Lane has a problem. Weeks after privately creating two time machines, he learns his corporate partner wants to use the portable devices for nefarious purposes. Rather than give him the chance to do so, Mark takes the time boxes and escapes to the relative safety of 1865.

For Mark, wife Mary, and their children, the adventure is a chance to grow. Mary runs a business. Jeremy, 19, and Ashley, 12, befriend escaped slaves. Laura, 22, finds her place as a nurse. Jordan, 25, falls for a beautiful widow. All hope to find peace in the past.

Billionaire Robert Devereaux has other ideas. Shortly after Mark's betrayal, he sends an assassin to 1865 to retrieve his property and set matters straight.

Filled with romance, suspense, and history, The Lane Betrayal follows a modern American family as it tries to find security and contentment in the final weeks of the Civil War.

This is my first book from author John Heldt, and I must say, for a "time travel" tome, I was pleasantly surprised. Though I am sure we, as readers and historians, have no doubt contemplated it, I will be the first to admit that the whole "time travel" genre is not really my thing as what I had previously read, was poorly done and just put me off altogether.

As mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised with this story of a family on the run from a meglomaniac with plans to use the devices created, to rule the world. Yes I know, rather Austin Powers-esque. However, that is not the case here. The family must fly under the radar to avoid bringing undue attention to themselves, whilst not altering events, and avoid crossing paths with the man sent to find them. To that end, the family must adapt and adopt their surroundings - Civil War Virginia in 1865 - which for some members of the family present some challenges.

The narrative is told from alternating points of view - the members of the Lane family, the man sent to find them, and Mark Lane's modern-day colleagues for whom (bar one) he is an anathema. Can the family stay one step ahead and survive, or will they be forced to reveal themselves.

Well ... no real spoiler alert as the second in the series "The Fair" has been published and a third - "Sea Spray" - is due out soon - so more thrilling adventures into America's past with the Lane family await the reader!

John A Heldt is the author of the Northwest Passage, American Journey, Carson Chronicles, and Time Box series.

Blog: http://johnheldt.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnaheldt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnheldt