historical fiction – MJ Porter

I’m delighted to share my review for Murder at Big Ben by Michelle Salter, the second book in a new historical mystery series #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended

I’m delighted to share my review for Murder at Big Ben by Michelle Salter, the second book in a new historical mystery series #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended
#BoldwoodBloggers @BoldwoodBooks

I’m delighted to share my review for Murder at Big Ben by Michelle Salter, the second book in a new historical mystery series #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended

Here’s the blurb

🇬🇧 You won’t be able to put down this latest instalment in the Fairbanks and Flynn Mysteries, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Benedict Brown and T. E. Kinsey 🔎 🔪

Three women hide in Big Ben, only two come out alive…

2 April 1911 is census night, when suffragettes hide overnight in parliament to force census takers to record it as their address – the only way women can have a place in government.

Coral Fairbanks, suffragette, actress, and artist’s muse, is among the women who break into parliament. What she doesn’t know is that Guy Flynn, artist and Scotland Yard detective, has been ordered to guard it that night.

When a suffragette hiding in Big Ben is poisoned, suspicion falls on the residents of two grand houses in Mayfair. The Kesbys are avant-garde artists, the Ashcourts are aristocrats fallen on hard times.

Once again, Fairbanks and Flynn put aside their differences to investigate an astonishing case of deception and murder.

A new historical mystery set in Edwardian London featuring the iconic detective duo Fairbanks and Flynn.

While this novel has the same detective duo as the other books in the Fairbanks and Flynn Mystery series, it can be read as a STANDALONE

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/4dGK2as

My Review

Murder at Big Ben is the second book in the Fairbanks and Flynn Mystery series, and it’s another fabulous mystery.

I adore how these books are so deeply rooted in the events of the day, making use of historical events to provide a vivid and very satisfying mystery for the reader to devour (or attempt to solve). The red herrings are placed extremely well. The eventual resolution of the mystery unfolds very smoothly, and when you do know the resolution, you can appreciate how well the author dropped snippets here and there, while ensuring there was never enough to give the mystery away.

Coral and Guy are such great characters. The mystery is top-notch and there are any number of suspects who could be the culprit..

Another fabulous installment in the series which I devoured in just a few sittings.

Check out my reviews for Murder in Trafalgar Square, the first book in the Fairbanks and Flynn Mystery series, and also my reviews for the Iris Woodmore series of historical mysteries Death at Crookham Hall, Murder at Waldenmere Lake, The Body at Carnival Bridge, A Killing At Smugglers Cove, A Corpse in Christmas Close, and Murder at Mill Ponds House.

Meet the author

Michelle Salter is a bestselling author of Edwardian and 1920s murder mysteries featuring female amateur sleuths, suffragettes and Scotland Yard detectives. She combines colourful characters, fascinating British history, and will-they-won’t-they romance in classic golden-age whodunnits.

Each book can be read as a STANDALONE even if it’s part of a series.

Michelle’s cozy crime novels have gained a dedicated following of readers who love her compelling characters and page-turning plot twists.

When she’s not writing books, Michelle enjoys exploring the backstreets of London and sharing fascinating facts from the Edwardian era and Roaring Twenties on her blog and social media.

She lives in Hampshire, England, and loves walking in the countryside and reading crime novels.

Connect with Michelle

Bookbub profile

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I’m welcoming The Queen’s Maid: Anne Boleyn in France by Rozsa Gaston to the blog #AnneBoleyn #AnneBoleynChronicles #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalSaga #TudorFiction #FrenchHistory #WomenInHistory #WomensHistoryMonth #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Anne Boleyn in France by Rozsa Gaston to the blog #AnneBoleyn #AnneBoleynChronicles #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalSaga #TudorFiction #FrenchHistory #WomenInHistory #WomensHistoryMonth #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m welcoming The Queen’s Maid: Anne Boleyn in France by Rozsa Gaston to the blog

Here’s the blurb

The Tudor series continues! For fans of Philippa Gregory, Elizabeth Chadwick, Carol McGrath and Anne O’Brien.

A new adventure begins for Anne…

France, 1514

After an enlightening period of training as a lady’s maid at Margaret of Austria’s court, Anne Boleyn has been sent to France.

She arrives at the Palace of Tournelles, home of ageing King Louis and his new English wife, Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII. As Anne speaks French, her main role is to serve as translator for Queen Mary.

Anne’s sister Mary is also at the French court, and Anne soon learns that not everyone is pleased about the union between the French king and his young queen.

The king’s cousin-in-law, Louise of Savoy, is desperate for Queen Mary not to fall pregnant, so that her son Francis will ascend the throne.

And with Louise and the English queen pulling Anne in two different directions, it will not be possible to appease everyone.

Can Anne successfully navigate the familial politics at the French royal court? Will she make her mark as one of the queen’s maids?

Or could her divided loyalties prove to be her undoing…?

THE QUEEN’S MAID is a thoroughly researched, fascinating historical novel set during the 16th century in Europe. It is the second book in the Anne Boleyn Chronicles series.

‘Wonderfully detailed and entirely enjoyable. This is a young Anne in whom I absolutely believe, and who does much to explain the woman she’d become.’ – Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of Queens

THE ANNE BOLEYN CHRONICLES SERIES:
Book One: Maid of Honour
Book Two: The Queen’s Maid
Book Three: Queen of Diamonds

Buy Links

Universal Buy Links

Book 1: https://getbook.at/MaidOfHonour

Book 2: https://getbook.at/TheQueensMaid

Book 3: https://getbook.at/QueenOfDiamondsAB

Series Buy Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNQHK66N

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FNQHK66N

This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Meet the author

Rozsa Gaston is a historical fiction author who writes books on women who reach for what they want out of life.

She is the author of Maid of Honour: Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s Court, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, The Queen’s Maid: Anne Boleyn in France, Queen of Diamonds: The French Royal Court, Margaret of Austria, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction, the four-book Anne of Brittany Series: Anne and Charles; Anne and Louis, 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿of the 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗟𝗬 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲; Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers; and Anne and Louis Forever Bound, 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 of the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for Early Historical Fiction.

Other works include Sense of Touch, Marguerite and Gaston, The Least Foolish Woman in France, Paris Adieu, and Budapest Romance.

Gaston studied European history at Yale and received her master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia. She worked at Institutional Investor, WR Capital, and as a columnist for The Westchester Guardian before becoming a novelist.

She is currently working on Book Four of The Anne Boleyn Chronicles, covering Anne Boleyn’s time at the 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold. She lives in Bronxville, New York with her family.

Her motto? History matters.

www.rozsagaston.com

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rozsa-gaston

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It’s (nearly) happy release day to Storm of Mercia. Return to the world of young Icel in the ninth book in the Eagle of Mercia Series. #histficbook #newrelease

Listen to me talk about Storm of Mercia (and other books too because it’s hard to stay on track)

Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.

Wessex, AD836

The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.

King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.

Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?

With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?

Preorder now (releasing on 1st April)

https://amzn.to/4a3G1ed

Check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles series page

If you can’t get enough of young Icel, you need to try The Mercian Ninth Century Series

AND releasing on 7th May, The Eagle Will Rise, the first book in The Sundered Kingdom series (for anyone who’s curious, many of the Easter eggs for Storm of Mercia will show up in The Eagle Will Rise).

Sign up to my Boldwood Books newsletter to keep up to date with all things Icel… https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews

Or, you can order a signed paperback copy directly from me. Check out my bookstore.

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The Secret Sauce is now available in audiobook format #histfic #historicalmystery

The Secret Sauce audiobook is now available from Audible, Apple Books and Amazon

Check out the beginning of The Secret Sauce, narrated by the fabulous Matt Coles.

In the UK, follow this referral link

In Australia, follow this referral link

In Canada, follow this referral link

In the US, follow this referral link

(I’d forgotten that Audible offered referral links to authors/producers – if you click on of the links, Audible rewards me and Matt:))

Here’s the blurb

Birmingham, England, November 1944.

Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is summoned to a suspicious death at the BB Sauce factory in Aston on a wet Monday morning in late November 1944.

Greeted by his enthusiastic sergeant, O’Rourke, Sam Mason finds himself plunged into a challenging investigation to discover how Harry Armstrong met his death in a vat containing BB Sauce – a scene that threatens to put him off BB Sauce on his bacon sandwiches for the rest of his life.

Together with Sergeant O’Rourke, Mason follows a trail of seemingly unrelated events until something becomes very clear. The death of Harry Armstrong was certainly murder, and might well be connected to the tragedy unfolding at nearby RAF Fauld. While the uncertainty of war continues, Mason and O’Rourke find themselves seeking answers from the War Office and the Admiralty, as they track down the person who murdered their victim in such an unlikely way.

Join Mason and O’Rourke for the third book in the quirky, historical mystery series, as they once more attempt to solve the impossible in 1940s Erdington.

The Secret Sauce is available in ebook, audio, paperback and hardback. Or order a paperback directly from me via my SumUp store.

Check out The Erdington Mysteries series page for more details on The Custard Corpses, The Automobile Assassination, The Secret Sauce and The Barrage Body.

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Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Viking Conqueror by JC Duncan #blogtour #historicalfiction #HaraldHardrada

Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Viking Conqueror by JC Duncan #blogtour #historicalfiction #HaraldHardrada

Here’s the blurb

Born to be king. Destined to die for glory.

1066 AD, Norway

Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, the Thunderbolt of the North, reigns supreme; undefeated on the battlefield and unchallenged at home. His banner, Land-Waster, flies triumphant everywhere he marches. Everything that was stolen from his brother, King Olaf, has been regained.

But power does not satiate. Glory does not fill the empty void in an ambitious heart. Victory is an elixir that runs dry no matter how freely it flows. No matter the height on which the triumphant stand, there, in the corner of his eye, is the glitter of another conquest.

Harald has achieved more than any man of his time, but fate is not done with him. His destiny lies on the banks of a quiet river in England’s green and pleasant land – Stamford Bridge.

To finish his great story, to forge the empire he always desired, all the last Viking conqueror must do is defeat a worthy opponent; King Harold of England, and seize his country and his crown.

His life changed nations.
His death will change the world.

The thrilling conclusion in the extraordinary tale of Harald Hardrada ‘The Last Viking‘. A formidable warrior king known for his military prowess, ambition, and ruthlessness.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/VikingConqueror

My Review

So here we are. This is the last book in the saga of Harald Hardrada, a man we’ve always known is destined to die at Stamford Bridge in the tumultuous events of 1066.

JC Duncan has spun us a fabulous tale of Hardrada’s life, never stinting to show us what Hardrada was before that fateful day, and this final instalment remains as triumphant as earlier books in the series, even if, Harald as king of Norway isn’t perhaps as filled with such fabulous stories of his brave daring do and his astonishing life as the earlier books. But then, he must earn his title of Hardrada – or hard ruler.

We move inexorably towards the events of Stamford Bridge with the ever loyal Eric returning to Harald’s side. It all seems so easy to accomplish close to Jorvik. So easy, and yet…it is not. Harald, at long last, finds a worthy opponent, one worthy of matching him in battle.

Not only does Harald’s story near its conclusion, but our narrator and his reasons for telling his tale are finally revealed as well.

I’ve loved this series by JC Duncan following the life of Harald Hardrada. It’s been fascinating to learn about his time away from Norway and all about that fateful day in 1066, which is recounted poignantly, and does indeed show Harald as the battle commander he was – ruthless, ambitious. Honourable (mostly). If you’ve not yet started the series, go pick up Warrior Prince now. You will not be disappointed.

Check out my review for book 1, 2 and 3, Warrior Prince, Raven Lord and

Meet the author

JC Duncan is a well-reviewed historical fiction author, with a passion for Vikings. When he isn’t writing or doing his full-time engineering job, James is happiest being an amateur bladesmith

Connect with JC Duncan

https://bit.ly/JCDuncanNews

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-c-duncan

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I’m welcoming The Teacher’s Noble Heart by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance #bookreview

I’m welcoming The Teacher’s Noble Heart by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

In Regency Cornwall, governess Miss Wilkins has always survived by being sensible, capable, and self-reliant. When she dares to take a bold step toward independence, she has no intention of complicating her life—or her heart.

Her encounters with James Pentarrant, the steadfast captain of the Delabole slate quarry, are marked less by romance than by spirited disagreement. Self-contained and disciplined, James challenges her views at every turn, even as he respects her resolve. What begins as wary sparring and mutual resistance gradually deepens into an understanding neither expected nor sought.

Alongside their unfolding story, a young heiress newly returned to Cornwall hides a calling that defies convention. When a moment of danger on the moor—and the inevitable gossip that follows—forces her into an unintended engagement, assumptions harden and emotions become dangerously entangled. Her growing affection for her own sparring partner, a gentle country doctor with the manners of a true gentleman and a secret of his own, only further unsettles what society is determined to set in place.

Set against the rugged beauty of Cornwall’s coast, quarries, and windswept moors, The Teacher’s Noble Heart is a tender Regency romance of intertwined lives, mistaken conclusions, and love discovered in spite of every sensible intention.

Purchase Link

My Review

The Teacher’s Noble Heart is the fourth of Susanne Dunlap’s Regency romances I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed all of them (see my reviews below for the previous books). Every book offers something a little different, while still delivering on what we all expect from a Regency romance.

In this story, we are transported to Cornwall, where society is a little different to that of London and yet mostly governed by the same conventions, even if some elements are a little less refined. The addition of our working nobleman and the mystery of the new local doctor adds a delightful element to the story of our two heroines,as does our less-than-typical professions of the two women.

A charming Regency Romance, offering something a little different to stories of London and the Ton and sure to delight fans of the genre.

Check out my review for The Dressmaker’s Secret Earl and The Soprano’s Daring Duke

Meet the author

Susanne Dunlap started out a historian, became an award-winning historical novelist with fourteen published novels for adults and teens, and is now the author of the Regency romance series, Double-Dilemma Romance. She lives and writes in a converted textile mill in Biddeford, Maine.

Connect with the author

https://susanne-dunlap.com

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I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence #BothSidesOfThePond #HistoricalFiction #WorldWar2History #MyFamilysWar #maineauthor #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence #BothSidesOfThePond #HistoricalFiction #WorldWar2History #MyFamilysWar #maineauthor #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m spotlighting Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933-1946 by Barbara Kent Lawrence

Here’s the blurb

In January of 1939 when Barbara Greene, a beautiful young British actress, met Joe Kennedy, Jr., son of the American Ambassador, she could not have expected that their relationship would lead to her emigrating to the United States and learning to pilot a plane. Neither could her brother, Kent, have foreseen his bitter retreat from Dunkirk when he left England in January 1940 to fight in France, or his subsequent service on the frontlines in Cornwall, North Africa, Sicily, and Burma.

In this intensively researched war story of the author’s family, we also hear the stories of other ordinary people who survived extraordinary circumstances. Richly illustrated with photographs and documents, “Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 – 1946” is a captivating book.

Praise for Both Sides of the Pond:

“Author Barbara Kent Lawrence weaves a rich tapestry of the lives of her British mother and uncle from 1933 to 1946, before, during, and just after World War II. …
War stories are very personal. This is such a story, and it offers insight into how two young people navigated difficult years that altered the trajectories of the lives they thought they would live. It is a worthy read, written beautifully. Don’t miss it.“
~ Patricia Walkow, Military Writers Society of America

“I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. History and the complexity of human relationships unfold with uncommon grace.“
~ Barbara Lazear Ascher, winner, most recently, of Pushcart’s Editors Book Award for Ghosting: A Widow’s Voyage Out.

Purchase Link

Amazon UK Paperback Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/

Amazon US Paperback Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Both-Sides-Pond-Familys-1933-1946/dp/B0FMF2NTQZ/

Meet the author

Dr. Lawrence is the author of many articles and nine books, including an award-winning dissertation about the influence of culture on aspirations in Maine. Her new book, Both Sides of the Pond, My Family’s War: 1933 – 1945, is available in book stores and on amazon.com.

A former professor, she has taught courses in anthropology and sociology, research, and writing non-fiction and memoir. Lawrence grew up in New York City and Washington D.C., then earned a BA in anthropology from Bennington College, an MA in sociology from New York University, and an Ed.D. in Administration, Policy and Planning from Boston University.

In addition to teaching, Lawrence has worked for the Department of Social Services and the Housing Development Administration in New York, directed a small museum in Maine, co-run a brokerage and construction company, consulted for the Rural School and Community Trust and KnowledgeWorks, and started four non-profit organizations supporting the environment and students.

When not working she loves to garden, knit, and go for walks, pastimes she learned from her British mother. She lives in Maine and is working on the third novel in her Islands series.

https://linktr.ee/barbarakentlawrenceauthor

https://barbaralawrence.com/

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Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Love Lost in Time by Cathie Dunn, a dual timeline novel #LoveLostInTime #CathieDunn #DualTimeline #WomenAcrossTime#BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions

Today, I’m delighted to be reviewing Love Lost in Time by Cathie Dunn, a dual timeline novel

Here’s the blurb

A reluctant daughter. A dutiful wife. A mystery of the ages.

Languedoc, France, 2018

Historian Madeleine Winters would rather research her next project than rehash the strained relationship she had with her late mother. However, to claim her inheritance, she reluctantly agrees to stay the one year required in her late mother’s French home and begins renovations. But when she’s haunted by a female voice inside the house and tremors emanating from beneath her kitchen floorboards, she’s shocked to discover ancient human bones.

The Mediterranean coast, AD 777

Seventeen-year-old Nanthild is wise enough to know her place. Hiding her Pagan wisdom and dutifully accepting her political marriage, she’s surprised when she falls for her Christian husband, the Count of Carcassonne. But she struggles to keep her forbidden religious beliefs and her healing skills secret while her spouse goes off to fight in a terrible, bloody war.

As Maddie settles into her rustic village life, she becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysterious history buried in her new home. And when Nanthild is caught in the snare of an envious man, she’s terrified she’ll never embrace her beloved again.

Can two women torn apart by centuries help each other finally find peace?

Love Lost in Time is a vivid standalone historical fiction novel for fans of epoch-spanning enigmas. If you like dark mysteries, romantic connections, and hints of the paranormal, then you’ll adore Cathie Dunn’s tale of redemption and self-discovery.

Any Triggers: Implied attack on a female character. Some minor fighting scenes.

Praise

“From the richness of Charlemagne’s court and the regret of a daughter, as she stands over her mother’s grave, to the realisation of an enemy and a skeleton under the kitchen floor, Love Lost in Time: A Tale of Love, Death and Redemption by Cathie Dunn is the unforgettable story that traverses two very different times.”

The Coffee Pot Book Club, 5* Editorial Review

“The narrative is ripe with emotions as two independent women are pulled in unexpected directions… Both landscapes are beautifully penned for readers to easily get lost in. Additionally, the storylines are engaging, and each helped bring a satisfying conclusion to the other. An enjoyable tale about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery.”

Historical Novel Society

“The historical details are beautiful, and a book which could easily feel oppressively sad is cleverly lightened with the use of romance and a satisfying ending. Well written and easy to read, the historical side may be a little more compelling, but the contemporary details add a layer that cannot be ignored!”

In’DTale Magazine

“In Love Lost in Time, Ms Dunn creates a fascinating balance between a tragic love story set in the Visigoth empire of the eighth century, and a very modern historian on a quest to find her own personal history in picturesque Languedoc…

Thoroughly researched and beautifully told, both stories complement each other in narrative power and colourful scene-setting; and in the dual narrative the main characters are compelling – each a product of destiny and following their fate, regardless of the cost.
Fans of Kate Mosse will relish this book…”

Discovering Diamonds Reviews

https://books2read.com/u/mq7DM9

https://mybook.to/LoveLostTime

This book is available on #KindleUnlimited

My Review

Love Lost in Time is an engaging dual time line novel, set in almost contemporary France, and also in the late 700s, a time not many authors dare to write about because it’s so confusing for the reader (and complex). Cathie manages to evoke this period fabulously by making her main character, Nanthild, a woman of her time, while allowing events to take place largely externally to her. We know there’s war but we don’t have to get bogged down in all the politics of the era. We simply know it is a perilous time. A few main players drive the narrative and drive it very well indeed.

I also found the near-contemporary element of the novel satisfying (as a whole I don’t like dual timelines) and I was as caught up in what was happening to Maddie as I was with Nanthild’s storyline, even though as the two storylines started to converge, it became clear not all was going to go well for Nanthild.

A thoroughly engrossing novel and one I’m so pleased I decided to read.

Check out my review for Ascent by the author.

Meet the author

Cathie is an Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, dual-timeline, mystery, and romance. She loves to infuse her stories with a strong sense of place and time, combined with a dark secret or mystery – and a touch of romance. Often, you can find her deep down the rabbit hole of historical research…

In addition, she is also a historical fiction book promoter with The Coffee Pot Book Club, a novel-writing tutor, and a keen reviewer on her blog, Ruins & Reading.

After having lived in Scotland for almost two decades, Cathie is now enjoying the sunshine in the south of France with her husband, and her rescued pets, Ellie Dog & Charlie Cat.

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

https://www.cathiedunn.com

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cathie-dunn

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I’m welcoming Dragon Kin’s Blood by Jo Gatenby to the blog #fantasy #bookreview #blogtour

I’m welcoming Dragon Kin’s Blood by Jo Gatenby to the blog

Here’s the blurb

Who do you trust when you can’t go home?

After centuries of hiding themselves and their shifting abilities from outsiders, the Dragon Kin decide to send a delegation of “dragon riders” to a nearby Lowlander territory. Eager to see the world, young Lauran quickly volunteers. But not all Lowlanders can be trusted. As the visit comes to an end, Lauran finds herself trapped in her draconic form—and hunted by an evil warlock. Desperate to protect herself and her people, she flees along the Dragon Spine Mountains, away from friends and foes alike.

Meanwhile, the last place Jenny wants to be during her summer break from university is on a family vacation with her mother’s new husband and his young son, Davy. Hoping for some peace and quiet, she explores a nearby cave—only to stumble into a portal to the Kingdom of Galahar, a land of magic and mythological creatures.

As Jenny searches for Davy, who follows her through the portal, and Lauran struggles for freedom, they come together with the help of Nath, an apprentice shaman of the Anishinabe people. Between Jenny’s technology and Nath’s magic, can they help Lauran escape the warlock’s relentless pursuit before he gets his hands on the Dragon Kin’s blood?

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragon-Kins-Blood-Kingdom-Galahar-ebook/dp/B0FXJB6PGG/

https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Kins-Blood-Kingdom-Galahar-ebook/dp/B0FXJB6PGG/

My Review

Dragon Kin’s Blood is an enchanting fantasy novel featuring a varied cast of characters and multiple points of view, bringing together a story of outsiders stumbling into a world they didn’t even know existed. And one where problems are already being faced by the dragon kin and the other people they encounter.

It is, perhaps, a little predictable, but of course, the skill there is to keep readers reading when the ending is potentially never in doubt, and the author does this very well.

It’s been a long time since I read any new fantasy featuring dragons, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story and hope other readers will too. It’s not the fastest read, pace-wise, but it certainly sucks you into the world of Galahar and is a fun, satisfying read.

Meet the author

Thanks to her great-grandmother, Jo Gatenby is a status Algonquin, of the Pikwakanagan First Nation, in Canada. The mountain people in this, her first novel are heavily influenced by native beliefs, and the magic words used are Algonquin language based.

Jo writes whatever the voices shouting in her head tell her to. As a result, she has had over two dozen stories and flash fiction published in on-line magazines. Links to many of these can be found on her website: http://www.jo-gatenby-books.com. She has also self-published five children’s books, which can also be found on her website.

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I’m delighted to welcome back Colin Garrow to the blog with a historical crime novel set in Edinburgh #blogtour #histfic #bookreview #mystery

I’m delighted to welcome back Colin Garrow to the blog with a historical crime novel set in Edinburgh #blogtour #histfic #bookreview #mystery

Here’s the blurb

Edinburgh, Christmas Eve, 1936. A gruesome double murder. A white-faced killer. A mysterious stranger…

Still haunted by his recent past, Professor Finlay MacBeth is called in to assist the police following an horrific double murder. Traces of greasepaint and white cotton lead MacBeth and Inspector Callaghan to the Christmas Circus, but while they search for clues, someone else is watching them.

Meanwhile, bent cop Kilmartin still has MacBeth in his sights…In this thriller series set in Edinburgh, Overkill is book #2 in the Finlay MacBeth series.

Purchase Link

Amazon: https://geni.us/q05E

Draf2Digital: https://books2read.com/u/mlBxwW

My Review

Overkill is another success for Colin Garrow. This time we travel to 1936 and a very cold Christmas in Edinburgh. There could certainly be better times for a violent killer to strike than when snow lies thickly on the ground and no one has a decent pair of wellingtons to be found for love nor money.

I love that Colin’s novels are straight to the plot, and also, all plot. There is no time for extraneous activities, and this ensures his books, and I include Overkill in this, are quick reads while being very intriguing. I also appreciated the appearance of some Scottish words and found that they didn’t distract from the story but rather added to it.

I powered through Overkill and very much enjoyed the interplay between the main characters (even though the murders are particularly violent). This isn’t so much a ‘guess the culprit’ but rather a cat and mouse game where we hope the police will get to the killer before he strikes again.

Meet the author

Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.

He has published more than thirty books, and his short stories have appeared in several literary mags, most recently in Witcraft, and Flash Fiction North. Colin lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.

He also plays several musical instruments and makes rather nice vegan cakes.