Journey into the heart of 20th Century Russia in this fun and funny historical mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright and Helena Dixon.
1918 Moscow
Will following her heart mean losing her head? It could mean losing her job.
Fiona Figg trails her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks to Moscow. But when she arrives at the grand Metropol Hotel, the bounder has vanished.
After Fiona doesn’t show up for work at the War Office, Kitty Lane raises a red flag and tracks her to Russia. Seeking haven at the British Embassy, Kitty and Fiona become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Bolshevik government.
But the plot turns deadly when Fiona goes undercover as a governess in the household of Iron Viktor, the Bolsheviks’ Head of Secret Police. And when Viktor turns up dead in his study, Fiona finds herself wanted for murder and on the lam.
Can Fiona and Kitty find the real killer and escape the Kremlin before it’s too late? Or will this dangerous game of Russian roulette be their last?
Murder in Moscow is the latest instalment in the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane cosy historical mystery series.
We’ve been to Egypt, Italy, the UK and now we’re off to 1918 Moscow. What could possibly go wrong?
Everything, or so it seems. Kitty, following Frederick Fredericks to Moscow, find herself marooned in an freezing cold Moscow in March, and that’s just the beginning of her problems, as she faces arrest and all sorts of other problems in this fun addition to the series.
What I loved about this new book is that Kitty gets her own part in it. So far, (I think), the narratives have been from Fiona’s point of view. In Murder in Moscow, Kitty gets to have her say and we learn some intriguing information about her. And, as Kitty can speak Russian a whole lot better than Fiona, Fiona really needs her help.
With the Bolsheviks, the Cheka, and the terrible problems facing the Russian royal family, Moscow is rife with conspiracy. As ever, Fiona walks right into it, and not even her disguises can necessarily help her.
This is, as I said, a fun addition to the series, which is going from strength to strength. Fiona is a single-minded woman, hell bent on making a name for herself, and her overconfidence means she gets into some very tricky situations. Her ability to get out of these situations is one of the appealing qualities of the series, told with a pinch of humour.
One great bake-off. Twelve golden pies. Two lovable, dogged amateur sleuths back in stride.
On a crisp, autumn evening, in quaint Bogus Hole, the village committee proposes a pie-and-buy charity auction to celebrate the first anniversary of Sycamore Medical Practice. Twelve bakes will make the coveted gingham table for a doctor-only bidding war, thus setting the scene for a memorable day.
The next week, when a doctor collapses at the annual Christmas fair and later dies, the gossip train rumbles with the burning question. Who baked a poisonous mushroom into their pie?
Team Awesome truffle hogs, Windy & Darling, are hot on the fatal fungus trail. Can our daring duo sniff out the killer of the not-so-fun guy?
Creativity’s a must for Scottish-raised, environmental science graduate Mark, who co-manages a self-publishing house, is formidable at book formatting, and writes cosy crime and sci-fi. He also makes music and fancies himself as a cartographer. A self-confessed geek, Mark’s hopelessly devoted to maps and roads, and his fondness for tree-hugging or pondering pylons takes whimsical to a new level. High on his priorities are reading, laughter, healthy food, and nature bathing. Mark adores animals, especially cats. Just ask Tahlula, his fussy old tuxedo puss.
Ironically, a cruel plot twist kick-started Wendy’s writing career. She’d always wanted to be an author but an MS diagnosis said no. Believing she’d never write again, Wendy swapped wallowing for blue sky thinking and, with drive and dedication, followed her vision by writing cosy mysteries and thrillers. Born in the original Washington, NE England, Wendy has a diverse CV. A serial word nerd, she’s now an erudite editor, and co-owns a self-publishing house, ensuring her lust for all things alphabetical and grammatical never wanes. She devours dictionaries, adding a prized new gem to her repertoire every day. When not nitpicking, mentoring, or critiquing, Wendy’s a sworn bookworm. Her other loves are music, cooking, yoga, and comedy. She’s a hat freak, animal qwackers, loves a good quiz, and is a devoted nature buff.
Deadly Dough is the couple’s feature-length debut.
I’m delighted to welcome back David Fitz-Gerald and his new book, Stay with the Wagons: A Pioneer Western Adventure, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail, to the blog with a series trailer.
Series Trailer
Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Series Trailer
Here’s the blurb
Venture deep into the uncharted wilderness and crest the continental divide.
Stay with the Wagons is the enthralling third chapter in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series. Dorcas Moon has discarded her mourning dress and yearns for freedom and independence amidst the vast frontier. But a perilous world and a commanding wagon master keep her tethered. Ultimately, it’s a brutal bout of fever and ague that confine her to camp.
Relentless disasters and beguiling challenges unfold in this installment. A young man is crushed beneath a wagon wheel. Dorcas’ son breaks an arm, a grizzly bear attacks the wagon train, and the looming threat of attacking outlaws whips the emigrants into a worried frenzy. How many must perish before they reach the end of the trail?
As chaos reigns, her troubled daughter, Rose, disappears once again, leading Dorcas on a perilous quest. Tracking Rose to a sacred site, they encounter a blind seer and a legendary leader, Chief Washakie. Rose’s enchantment with Native American adornments sparks Dorcas’ concern about an unexpected suitor and raises worries about Rose’s age.
Stay with the Wagons is bursting with action, adventure, and survival. It is a story of resilience and empowerment on the Oregon Trail. Claim your copy now and re-immerse yourself in a tale of high-stakes survival, unexpected alliances, and the indomitable spirit of Dorcas Moon.
This title/series is available to read on#KindleUnlimited
Meet the Author
David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.
Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.
Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.
Arriving into English society from the drawing rooms of New York, Miss Florence Wakechild desires nothing less than the marriage her father is so desperately seeking for her. Clayton Wakechild desires nothing more than finding a suitable husband for his daughter – a husband of noble birth and title no less. No ‘new money’ here.
Frustrated with her father’s obsession with the British aristocracy, Florence comes up with a plan. If she can train an ordinary working man to behave like a viscount and fool her father, she can prove to him a title is meaningless.
It’s a straightforward plan, but the man Florence chooses is Ned Blake, a man who will open her eyes in a way she couldn’t have imagined. As Ned’s hands gently guide her across the ballroom floor, the last thing Florence expects to feel is something… real.
With his past catching up with him, Ned seizes the opportunity to lie low, if only briefly, but will the secrets he’s keeping destroy the chance of happiness he’d never imagined?
My Fair Lord is an engaging romance set, in the later 19th century.
Our two main characters meet in the first sentence, and their tale then takes us from Liverpool to New York. Elizabeth Wakechild is an outspoken young, wealthy American woman, determined against marrying a British titled lord with no money. Ned is somewhat of a mystery – a man who can move in quite exulted company but is also not out of place in a dockyard pub. Elizabeth’s desire to show her father’s determination that she marry into a title is based on little more than conceit, bringing them together. With the aid of Ned, Elizabeth intends to show her father that a man can be taught about manners and societal norms without having been born to them and sets about teaching him with forthright determination.
Both hot-headed, and with agendas of their own, the two but heads, but also remain determined to fulfil their respective bargains, no matter what, and even if it means travelling to New York. The narrative is split between the pair and moves at quite a brisk pace.
Ned and Elizabeth are both fun characters. Elizabeth is educated in the correct forms of address for every member of British society; Ned isn’t, or at least, he pretends not to be. They fall in love with one another, which accounts for why they refuse to part ways, even if it might be better for them to do so, even though, as it stands, they could never be together.
I enjoyed the story. Elizabeth is perhaps the more-rounded character. Her secrets are freely shared with the reader, whereas Ned’s aren’t. This does allow for the ending to be quite unexpected.
This is sure to appeal to fans of historical romance of all time periods.
Meet the author
Elisabeth writes romantic Historical fiction as Elisabeth Hobbes and Historical folklore/fantasy romance as Elisabeth J. Hobbes.
She teaches Primary school but would love to write full time because unlike five-year-olds her characters generally do what she tells them. She spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.
Elisabeth hails from York but lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left. Elisabeth has two almost grown kids, two cats, two dogs and a husband. The whole family are on the autistic spectrum and that probably includes the pets! She dreams of having a tidy house one day.
From one of our most treasured BBC broadcasters, The Spy Across the Water is the third instalment in James Naughtie’s brilliant spy series, woven around three brothers bound together through espionage.
We live with our history, but it can kill us.
Faces from the past appear from nowhere at a family funeral, and Will Flemyng, spy-turned-ambassador, is drawn into twin mysteries that threaten everything he holds dear.
From Washington, he’s pitched back into the Troubles in Northern Ireland and an explosive secret hidden deep in the most dangerous but fulfilling friendship he has known.
And while he confronts shadowy adversaries in American streets, and looks for solace at home in the Scottish Highlands, he discovers that his government’s most precious Cold War agent is in mortal danger and needs his help to survive.
In an electric story of courage and betrayal, Flemyng learns the truth that his life has left him a man with many friends, but still alone.
The Spy Across the Water is a complex political thriller set in 1985. As such, it is ‘almost’ historical fiction, my ‘go to genre.’
Not so much a fast-paced spy thriller, this is instead a slow and somewhat dense read, following Flemyng and also others of his associates as they uncover a web of secrets surrounding his youngest brother’s murder, and other events which are about to culminate. There is a great deal of obfuscation. Our main character knows everything, or at least, nearly everything, but details are only fed slowly to the reader. Key names and details are not given, which, while adding to the conspiracy, also managed to confuse me on more than one occasion.
The author has adopted a somewhat ‘quirky’ writing style – there is much conversation, and equally, much summarising of some elements of the same discussions. I found it jolted me from the narrative, and often just as things were getting interesting.
The narrative slowly sucked me in as the web of lies and politicking reaches another level. It recreates a real sense of the ‘time,’ ‘place’ and the snail-like speed of passing information to those who need to know, while doing away with our more modern apparatus of mobile phones, allowing the sharing of intelligence to be immediate.
An intriguing novel of ‘what-ifs’ and ‘might have beens’ deeply embedded in the era of heightened tensions as the Soviet Union draws to an end, while matters in Ireland ‘could’ be resolved to the satisfaction of everyone. This is a novel that will appeal to fans of ‘old school’ spy stories.
Meet the author
James Naughtie is a special correspondent for BBC News, for which he has reported from around the world. He presented Today on BBC Radio 4 for 21 years. This his third novel, and his most recent book is an account of five decades of travel and work in the United States – On the Road: American Adventures from Nixon to Trump. He lives in Edinburgh and London.
I’m delighted to welcome Debra Borchert and her book, Her Own Legacy, Book 1, the Chateau de Verzat series, to the blog.
Here’s the blurb
A Woman Fights for Her Legacy as the French Revolution Erupts
Determined to inherit her family’s vineyard, Countess Joliette de Verzat defies society’s rules, only to learn of her illegitimate half-brother, the rightful heir.
Buy Link
Just 0.99 in the UK, CA and AU from 5th March – 15th March
And for book 2, Her Own Revolution, the Chateau de Verzat series, there’s also an excerpt.
Excerpt
Her Own Revolution, Paris, July 30, 1794
Geneviève attempts to escape arrest
At dawn, I brushed the white dust from my skirts and peeked out from the cellar. I ran through alleys to the back entrance of the Châtelet, crept up the servants’ steps, crossed the hall to the clerk chamber, and stopped to gather my wits. Please, God, help me find the papers I copied. If I could present them to the Tribunal, they would be forced to release Papa.
I edged myself around the doorway and stepped back to see the clerks already at work. Instead of copying, they were sorting documents into piles lining a table before the fireplace where Imberton stood, straight as a pike.
Armand held up a paper. “Roland?” He lifted another. “And Delignon?”
Imberton indicated two piles. Armand deposited the papers and returned to his desk where a stack of documents teetered. I wished Armand had already sailed for America.
Denis, holding folders, called out, “Widow Capet.” Imberton pointed at the tallest pile. Denis deposited the folders and hurried to my father’s office. Denis’s twins were four now, and his wife with child. I hoped he would be safe.
Imberton noticed me. His face reddened as he pointed and shouted, “Guards! Arrest her!
My heartbeat thundered.
“Guards!” Imberton shouted.
I ran for the servants’ stairs. My legs shook so hard, I careened off the walls as I clambered down the steps. Where could I go that was safe? The château, but I’d be stopped at the city barrier. I could no longer use my father’s name—the day I’d dreaded since the first time I used it as protection had arrived. The only way past the barriers was through the tunnels. My skin felt too tight, like it was suffocating me.
I stood panting at the side door. Once I opened it, I’d be exposed. But if I went through the side exit, I could make it to the square and blend in with the market people. I would have to walk past the morgue. The tunnel was dark, lit only by holes in the ceiling protected by metal grates embedded in the streets above, which I had stepped over a hundred times. I’d never traveled the passage, but I’d no better choice.
I wrapped my shawl around my face, took a deep breath, and ran. The moans from prisoners in the dungeon echoed along the stone passage. The air was thick with the stench of blood and death. I shoved open the wooden door, not caring who was on the other side. Stopping in the alley scattered with rags stained with blood, I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders and forced myself to walk calmly. I peered around the corner.
The square wasn’t much longer than the copying room. I inhaled, stood tall, and headed for the biggest knot in the crowd.
Rioters swarmed the arched entrance, raising pikes and screaming. Men and women wearing red caps charged across the square. A woman pounded the closed main doors. “Give me back my husband!”
I tottered and pressed my feet to the cobbles.
“Join your victims, you man-eater!” yelled a man, wielding a sword.
A rotund man, his beard and hair wiry and disheveled, bellowed, “Send Tinville to hell! Let him wallow in the blood he has shed!”
I fell back. They were screaming revenge against my father. I bent over, nauseated and dizzy. Clutching the building, I forced myself to stand straight.
A guard came out of the entryway and yelled, “He’s at la Conciergerie!”
The crowd of red-capped sans-culottes turned and flowed like a stream of blood across the square and over the bridge toward the prison. I could get Papa out, like LaGarde. I just needed men’s clothing, a place to hide, and a plan.
I forced myself to breathe calmly, descend the steps, and intermingle with the crowd, while trying to remember the tunnel entrance nearest the prison. The flower seller stood at the edge of the market. I headed straight for her and hoped I could make it without anyone recognizing me.
A powerful hand grabbed my arm, pulled me to the bulk of a man, his warmth penetrating my sleeve. I opened my mouth, but his other hand covered it. The square spun around me.
Here’s the blurb
A Woman Forges a Treacherous Path to Save Hundreds from the Guillotine
If Geneviève Fouquier-Tinville had the same rights as a man, she wouldn’t have to dress like one. A suspenseful page-turner led by a renegade heroine whose compassion for innocent people leads to both loss and love.
Debra’s the author of the Château de Verzat series that follows headstrong and independent women and the four-hundred loyal families who protect a Loire Valley château and vineyard, and its legacy of producing the finest wines in France during the French Revolution. Her Own Legacy published 2022, Her Own Revolution published 2023, and Her Own War will be published in 2024. A passionate cook, she also wrote a companion cookbook to the series: Soups of Château de Verzat, A Culinary Tribute to the French Revolution, 2023.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical fiction. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and standard poodle, named after a fine French Champagne.
I’m delighted to welcome Judith Arnopp and her new book, A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three), to the blog with a snippet.
Snippet: November 1541 Henry prepares for mass
It is good to be home, and my spirits remain high. I jest with my gentlemen as my beard, greyer now than gold, is trimmed, my nails clipped. I select a doublet of black with silver thread embellishing the cuffs, the slashes across the sleeves and chest revealing a fine silk shirt beneath.
My looking glass reflects a king, a man in his prime, a wise and honest man. As my dress sword is arranged at my hip, I take the gloves Denny is offering and tuck them into my girdle.
“Where is my psalter?” I ask, and it is instantly produced. I tuck it beneath my arm and make my way to the chapel, wondering as I go if Katherine will make it to Mass so early.
My mind is not on prayer this morning. I am feeling spry enough to go for a ride. Brandon has returned to court this week, perhaps we can ride out together as we used to, if he is feeling up to it. I often forget that he too grows old.
The sound of the choir greets me, their voices ascending to the dizzy heights of the blue and gold ceiling. Immediately, I feel contrition that my mind had strayed to sport rather than giving thanks to God for another day. Before I enter and take my seat, I rearrange my face into a pious expression. But as I sit down, I notice a folded slip of paper. I pick it up, look about the chapel to discover the author of the note, but when no man meets my eye, I unfold the message and … the world around me crumbles.
Here’s the blurb
With youth now far behind him, King Henry VIII has only produced one infant son and two bastard daughters. More sons are essential to secure the Tudor line and with his third wife, Jane Seymour dead, Henry hunts for a suitable replacement.
After the break from Rome, trouble is brewing with France and Scotland. Thomas Cromwell arranges a diplomatic marriage with the sister of the Duke of Cleves but when it comes to women, Henry is fastidious, and the new bride does not please him. The increasingly unpredictable king sets his sights instead upon Katherine Howard and instructs Cromwell to free him from the match with Cleves.
Failure to rid the king of his unloved wife could cost Cromwell his head.
Henry, now ailing and ageing, is invigorated by his flighty new bride but despite the favours he heaps upon her, he cannot win Katherine’s heart. A little over a year later, broken by her infidelity, she becomes the second of his wives to die on the scaffold, leaving Henry friendless and alone.
But his stout heart will not surrender and leaving his sixth wife, Katheryn Parr, installed as regent over England, Henry embarks on a final war to win back territories lost to the French more than a century before. Hungry for glory, the king is determined that the name Henry VIII will shine brighter and longer than that of his hero, Henry V.
Told from the king’s perspective, A Matter of Time: Henry VIII: the Dying of the Light shines a torch into the heart and mind of England’s most tyrannical king.
A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focusing on the perspective of historical women but recently she has been writing from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.
Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria which is when she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly historically accurate clothing. Her non-fiction book, How to Dress like a Tudor was published by Pen and Sword in 2023.
Her novels include:
A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York
The Beaufort Chronicle : the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three book series)
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years (Book One of The Henrician Chronicle)
A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix (Book Two of The Henrician chronicle)
A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three, Coming soon)
The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn
The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII
Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr
Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace
The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England
Peaceweaver
The Forest Dwellers
The Song of Heledd
Previously published under the pen name – J M Ruddock.
The Book of Thornhold
A Daughter of Warwick: the story of Anne Neville, Queen of Richard III
The Civil War is over and Charles II, the ‘Merry Monarch’, is revelling in the throne of his murdered father and all the privileges and power that comes with it. Sharing the spoils is his favourite companion, the celebrated beauty, actress Nell Gwyn. Beloved of the English people, Nell has come a long way from selling oranges and a childhood in a brothel, but as her fortunes have turned, her sister Rose has taken a different path. Marriage to a feckless highwayman has left Rose in the grim Marshalsea prison and now she needs her sister’s mercy to help get her out. But Nell needs Rose too. A plot to steal the Crown Jewels has gone tragically wrong, and Nell’s future with her protector King is at risk. If Rose can’t solve the riddle of the jewels both Gwyn sisters will head straight to the Tower.
Present Day
Librarian and history enthusiast Jess Yates has hit rock bottom. With her ex behind bars for fraud, Jess needs to lay low – easier said than done with a celebrity sister. But Tavy has her uses. Her latest TV project involves renovating Fortune Hall, and she needs a house sitter while she’s jetting around the world. The opportunity is too good to miss, especially when Jess discovers that Fortune Hall has links to the infamous Nell Gwyn.
Slowly the house begins to reveal its mysteries, and secrets that have laid buried for centuries can no longer be ignored. Jess hears echoes from a tragic past and as she struggles to understand her sister, Jess feels ever closer to Rose Gwyn, the sister forgotten by history but who had the fate of her family in her hands.
Bestselling author Nicola Cornick is back with a captivating, gripping, unforgettable tale of treachery and treason, love and loyalty, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Elena Collins and Christina Courtenay.
The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick is a dual-timeline novel taking place in the present day and the early 1670s, offering an account of the life of The Other Gwyn Girl, Rose, as opposed to Nell, mistress of Charles II, although Nell does have a role in the book.
Beginning with events in the 1670s, the historical element of the story is well woven and told in a 1st person POV, taking in the theatre, London, the king, and indeed, the theft of the crown jewels as well as the delight of the Marshelsea prison. I was firmly invested in Rose’s story and, as often with dual-timeline tales, felt a little resentful that the whole tale was not about Rose:)
That said, our modern timeline, told from a 3rd person POV, is still intriguing, encompassing the Bodleian Library, ancient letters, and a little bit of ‘otherworldlyness’. The parallels between the two narratives, both ‘the unfamous’ sisters, worked well.
The narrative is certainly engaging, and I whipped through the book in only a few sittings, quite desperate to find out what would happen to Rose in the historical timeline.
A really enjoyable tale, well pieced together, and thrilling.
(I would have loved some historical notes at the back – sorry, it’s the historian in me).
Meet the author
Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural, and focus on women from the footnotes of history. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also gives writing and history talks, works as a consultant for TV and radio, and is a trustee of the Wantage Literary Festival and the Friends of Lydiard Park.
I’m delighted to welcome Lynn Downey and her new book, Dude or Die, to the blog with a guest post.
Lynn Downey
I’ve been writing about the American dude ranch for the last few years. My novels, Dudes Rush In and the new sequel, Dude or Die, are set on a fictional Arizona dude ranch in the 1950s. My last nonfiction book tackled the same theme, American Dude Ranch: A Touch of the Cowboy and the Thrill of the West.
Dude ranches began in the Rocky Mountain West in the 1880s. They were originally the kind of place where men from the eastern states could go to hunt or just live like cowboys for a few weeks. It didn’t take long for women and families to start visiting these places, which opened up throughout Montana and Wyoming, and then in California and the Southwest around the time of World War I. People had experiences at dude ranches they couldn’t get anywhere else, and ranching is thriving throughout the western states today.
I first got interested in dude ranches when I was working as the company historian for Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco. There was a catalog in the archives called Dude Ranch Duds, featuring clothing specifically to be worn on dude ranches. Not just the denim jeans and jackets, but western shirts, satin shirts with embroidery, gabardine riding pants, everything that real cowboys wouldn’t actually wear. But that was the point. The guests were dudes and dudines, they came from somewhere else to immerse themselves in the cowboy West.
Writing about dude ranching for so many years has yielded stories I never thought I would find, and they went beyond tales of cowboys and dudes. Doing research included perusing a lot of historical newspapers, which are available and searchable online. One day I found what is probably my favorite headline of all time. It was in a number of papers in July of 1935:
“Vampire to Retire to Dude Ranch”
It seems actor Bela Lugosi, most famous for playing Count Dracula in the 1931 film Dracula, had just finished making a new movie called Murder By Television (believe it or not). The Cameo Pictures Corporation was running publicity for the film, and told Lugosi to fill out a questionnaire for readers of various movie magazines. One of the questions asked what his “Present Ambition” was. His answer: “Dude Ranch.”
Of course, I had to read that article.
This just tickled newspaper reporters. One writer for the Brooklyn Times tracked down what he thought were a few more details about Lugosi’s interesting statement.
While the second leading fiend in the United States does not find his lot an unhappy one, he would rather be a cowboy…he has no intention of retiring to a haunted castle in the mountains of his native Hungary when his days of screen acting are over. His desires are for a home on the range, preferably a dude ranch, where all the midnight shrieks, if any, will be from guests whose digestive systems have disagreed with the ranch fodder.
Well, I didn’t believe that for a minute. So, I did what any good historian would do: I tracked down Bela Lugosi’s granddaughter.
She was lovely, and intrigued by the story, which she’d never heard before. She talked to her father, Bela Lugosi, Jr. and a few days later wrote me an email. “My grandfather was an interesting person and I believe he could have thought a dude ranch was a good idea. He really loved the outdoors and especially enjoyed hiking and taking walks.”
I think Lugosi also had a great sense of humor. Because I believe he told the PR people about his dude ranch ambition purely as a joke. Perhaps he was tired of talking to the publicity folks, and wanted to have a little fun.
This reflects how popular dude ranches had become by the 1930s. Movie stars like Errol Flynn and Joel McCrea told reporters they planned to open ranches of their own, but they never did. Gary Cooper did have a dude ranch during this decade on the property where he grew up in Helena, Montana, but it didn’t last long. That was probably because people expected to see the movie star when they arrived, but he was rarely if ever there.
Bela Lugosi could have made up anything when the Cameo Pictures Corporation people asked him about his ambitions for the future. But he chose the dude ranch, which was deeply embedded in American culture. It was also the absolute opposite of his character, both on and off screen. And he knew it.
Here’s the blurb
It’s 1954, and San Francisco writer Phoebe Kelley is enjoying the success of her first novel, Lady in the Desert. When Phoebe’s sister-in-law asks her to return to Tribulation, Arizona to help run the H Double Bar Dude Ranch, she doesn’t hesitate. There’s competition from a new dude ranch this year, so the H Double Bar puts on a rodeo featuring a trick rider with a mysterious past. When accidents begin to happen around the ranch, Phoebe jumps in to figure out why, and confronts an unexpected foe. And a man from her own past forces her to confront feelings long buried. Dude or Die is the second book in the award-winning H Double Bar Dude Ranch series.
She was the Historian for Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco for 25 years. Her adventures as ambassador for company history took her around the world, where she spoke to television audiences, magazine editors, and university students, appeared in numerous documentaries, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She wrote many books and articles about the history of the company and the jeans, and her biography, Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World, won the Foreword Reviews silver INDIE award.
Lynn got interested in dude ranches during her time at Levi’s. Her debut historical novel, Dudes Rush In, is set on an Arizona dude ranch in the 1950s; Arizona because she’s a desert rat at heart, and the 1950s because the clothes were fabulous.
Dudes Rush In won a Will Rogers Medallion Award, and placed first in Arizona Historical Fiction at the New Mexico-Arizona book awards. The next book in this series, Dude or Die, was released in 2023. And just for fun, Lynn wrote a screenplay based on Dudes Rush In, which is currently making the rounds of reviewers and competitions.
She pens short stories, as well. “The Wind and the Widow” took Honorable Mention in the History Through Fiction story contest, and “Incident at the Circle H” was a Finalist for the Longhorn Prize from Saddlebag Dispatches. The story “Goldie Hawn at the Good Karma Café,” won second place in The LAURA Short Fiction contest from Women Writing the West, and is based on her experiences in a San Francisco religious cult in the 1970s. (That will be another book one of these days.)
Lynn’s latest nonfiction book is American Dude Ranch: A Touch of the Cowboy and the Thrill of the West, a cultural history of the dude ranch. It was reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, True West, Cowgirl, and The Denver Post, and was a Finalist for the Next Generation INDIE Award in Nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews said the book is “…deeply engaging and balances accessible writing style with solid research.”
When she’s not writing, Lynn works as a consulting archivist and historian for museums, libraries, cultural institutions, and businesses. She is the past president of Women Writing the West, a member of the Western Writers of America, and is on numerous boards devoted to archives and historic preservation.
Lynn lives in Sonoma, California, where she sometimes makes wine from the Pinot Noir grapes in her back yard vineyard.
After the bloody Battle of Jelling, Denmark’s throne lies empty and chaos reigns as Jarls jostle for power.
Sven survives the bloodshed only to return home to find Ribe sacked by those he trusted and Charles, a pawn in a much bigger political game, kidnapped.
Consumed by the loss of Charles, Sven is shocked by the arrival of the Abbess Hildegard, daughter of his nemesis King Louis of East Francia, who seeks the whereabouts of Charles, her son, and also the cross of Charlemagne.
But whilst others want revenge for the chaos Sven has caused, Denmark burns and Sven must stand in the shield wall one more time if he is to survive and rescue his grandson.
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Sven and Charles must put their fate in the hands of the gods if they ever want to see each other again.
Thor’s Revenge is the third book in the Charlemagne’s Cross series by Donovan Cook. I have read the previous two books.
Thor’s Revenge begins immediately after the previous book’s events, with Sven the Boar recovering from the events of the great battle. At the same time, conspiracy and secrets continue to swirl around him and his grandson, Charles.
In book 3, we learn more answers to the secrets and also meet a few new characters who have previously been alluded to but not ‘seen’ on stage, as it were.
The many threads take a while to get into, but when I did, I flew through the story, really enjoying how well they connect. I also greatly enjoy the ‘light’ touch adopted for the competing religions of paganism and Christianity. Questions are asked by those of both faiths, especially Sven and Charles, who can perhaps see that not everything is as black and white as might be believed. The conniving members of the royal family in East and West Frankia add a layer of ‘sophisticated’ conspiracy above that of the more ‘immediate’ concerns of Sven and Charles.
There are also several battles and fights, and I’m looking forward to Book 4, where I hope we may find some resolution for Sven and Charles.
It is a fine addition to the series that develops depth as the story progresses and has an ending, making me desperate to read more. So, get on with it Donovan:)
Fans of the genre will delight in the continuing tale of Sven the Boar and Charles.
Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne’s Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England.
MJ Porter 