murder mystery – MJ Porter

It’s time for a new Bradecote and Catchpoll historical mystery. I’m reviewing A Shroud of Snow by Sarah Hawkswood #historicalmystery #bookreview #favouriteseries

Here’s the blurb

December, 1145.

Hamelin Isenmongere, trader in iron and charcoal from Gloucester, is considered by many to be the most popular man in Worcester. Why then is he found on the quayside near his warehouse with his head beaten in? As the winter bites, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Walkelin begin the hunt for a killer. However, matters are complicated when evidence leads them to Worcester Castle itself and the hunt for a spy in the midst of complicated political crosscurrents.

Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin must uncover whether the murder was an act of betrayal from close to home, or one that casts a shadow over the fight for England’s crown.

Purchase Link

My Review

Sarah Hawkswood’s medieval mysteries are some of my favourite books. I wish I could savour them when they’re released once a year, but I find myself reading far too quickly.

Her main characters, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Wakelin are determined and intrepid in their desire to solve each mystery presented to them.

I love this series of medieval mysteries set in and around Worcester, and A Shroud of Snow is a fab addition, and has certainly kept me cool during the recent heatwave.

Catchpoll and Walkelin find themselves summoned to the quayside on a bitterly cold morning where the body of Hamelin Isenmonger has been found. A convivial, generous trader, everyone wonders who on earth would have wanted to kill the man, with a whole host of suspects, from his wife to his ship’s commander.

What unfolds is another fine mystery, that sees our characters forced to question not just the underbelly of Worcester, but also those in high up places, as they work to make sense of the seemingly random series of events. While Walkelin and Catchpoll are contending with some of the local inhabitants, Bradecote has to contend with some haughty lords at the castle.

Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin are getting rather good at solving crimes, ferreting out those who speak falsehoods and getting to the crux of the matter as quickly as possible. This one had its fair share of politics to contend with as well, which I did sometimes get a little confused about, but luckily, I could remember what was happening in the wider world of the Anarchy.

It’s always a treat to get a new Bradecote & Catchpoll mystery and this one didn’t disappoint.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a bloody good historical mystery, and I promise you, soon the way the characters speak will become like second-nature to you, so don’t let it put you off!

Check out my reviews for other books in the series (I have read them all)

A Feast for the Ravens

Posts

I’m reviewing the new book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Italian Mysteries, Murder at Christmas by TA Williams #BookReview #BlogTour #CosyCrime #ContemporaryCrime

I’m reviewing the new book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Italian Mysteries, Murder at Christmas by TA Williams #BookReview #BlogTour #CosyCrime #ContemporaryCrime

Here’s the blurb

BRAND NEW instalment in the page-turning Armstrong & Oscar cozy mystery series, this time in the snowy Italian Alps.

A festive gathering…

Private investigator Dan Armstrong, accompanied by his wife and his canine sidekick, Oscar, are spending the days before Christmas in a luxurious Alpine chalet tucked away in a hidden valley. It should be the perfect escape, except the owner is in fear for his life.

A house full of secrets…

Amid perfect winter wonderland scenery, the more Dan discovers about his host and the other guests, he realises that all is not as it seems. What should be a happy family party is riddled with rancour, mistrust and hatred.

A killer in the snow?

Then the snow falls – fast and heavy – and within moments, someone is dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? As the snow closes in, Dan has to work out if he’s looking for a killer, or whether he and Oscar are barking up the wrong tree.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Pompeii-At-Christmas-Williams-ebook/dp/B0F4VXZQVH

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Pompeii-At-Christmas-Williams-ebook/dp/B0F4VXZQVH

My Review

Murder in Rome is somehow the 16th book in the Armstrong and Oscar mysteries.

This latest outing sees Dan and his wife venturing into the Alps to meet a friend from an earlier mystery, and of course, there’s an ulterior motive as well. Is someone trying to kill their host, or is he simply paranoid?

Against the backdrop of a winter storm, Dan (and Oscar) feel their noses twitch and decide to find out exactly what is happening – if they can manage to do so between the meals being prepared for them. And, if it is murder on the mind, there are any number of potential suspects.

Murder at Christmas is a distinctly chilly mystery and the resolution, when it comes, is a little more nuanced than we readers might expect, but no less satisfying.

Check out my reviews for earlier books in the series, and be sure to start at book 1, Murder in Tuscany.

Meet the author

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I studied languages at Nottingham University a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to work in Italy for seven years. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only thirteen years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

I started off writing romances but after 28 of them, I knew I wanted to try something different, and so the first of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, Murder in Tuscany, was born three years ago. I’ve been having a lot of fun ever since getting to know the dynamic duo (and introducing them to people all over the world). These books are cosy crime [a genre I didn’t even know existed when I started writing them). They are murder mysteries, but not gory, over-violent stuff, but stories designed to exercise the brain of the reader and to put a smile on their face. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations all over my beloved Italy.

Newsletter Sign Up https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews

Bookbub profile @trevorwilliams3

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

Book Review. Helen Golden’s A Blighter is Bumped Off-#bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader

I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Blighter is Bumped Off-#bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader @rararesources

I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Blighter is Bumped Off #bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader

Here’s the blurb

The only thing worse than a persistent suitor? A dead one on your lawn.

London, 1892. Alice, Duchess of Stortford, has returned to town determined to enjoy her first Season as a wealthy widow. But instead of balls, flirtation, and whispered gossip, she finds herself besieged by ambitious bachelors—none more persistent than the insufferably smooth-talking Miles Fonthill. When Alice firmly refuses his sudden proposal, she assumes the matter is settled.

Instead, he turns up dead in her garden.

The police are happy to call it a tragic accident. Alice is less convinced.

Why was Miles climbing over her garden wall in the middle of the night? Why had he become so determined to win her favour? And what did he really want?

As Alice begins to dig into Miles’ final days, her search leads her into the glittering heart of London society, where old loyalties run deep, secrets are guarded fiercely, and reputation matters more than truth. But when whispers of the mysterious Order of the Golden Key begin circling dangerously close to her own late husband’s name, Alice realises this death may be far more complicated than one unwelcome suitor meeting an unfortunate end.

And if someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets…this Season may prove positively deadly.

Perfect for fans of feisty female sleuths, Victorian High Society, and secret scandals, all served with a dash of humour and a cup of tea.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blighter-Bumped-Duchess-Stortford-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0FWC6CBLC

https://www.amazon.com/Blighter-Bumped-Duchess-Stortford-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0FWC6CBLC

My Review

A Blighter is Bumped Off is the third full-length novel in the Duchess of Stortford cosy historical mystery series. I’ve read them all.

It’s good to be back with Lady Alice, and this time she has a right old pickle on her hands. Her reputation is at stake, and ladies of the Ton do not like having their reputation imperilled.

With the aid of her trusty allies, Lady Alice determines to get to the bottom of the puzzling mystery of how the body of her ex-suitor came to be found in her garden and very enjoyable it is too. She uncovers some delightfully dodgy dealings as she hunts down the truth with the aid of her trusty servants, and te aid of her PI and none other than Sherlock Holmes.

Another fun, historical story with a good dash of cosy, and just the sort of mystery I like to read.

Check out my reviews for the books in Helen Golden’s Right Royal Mystery series, featuring one of Lady Alice’s descendants.

Spruced Up For Murder

For Richer, For Deader

Not Mushroom For Death

A Dead Herring

A Cocktail to Die For

A Death of Fresh Air

I Kill Always Love You

A Murder Most Wilde

And my review for the prequel in the new historical mystery series, as well as the full-length novels.

An Heir is Misplaced

A Husband is Hushed Up

A Dowager is Done-In

Meet the author

Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.

With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.

Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.

If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.

Connect with the author

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

Book Review. Death of a Fugitive, the second book in John Pilkington’s Elizabethan mysteries featuring Matthew Cutler #histfic #historicalmystery #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for Death of a Fugitive, the second book in John Pilkington’s Elizabethan mysteries featuring Matthew Cutler #histfic #historicalmystery #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for Death of a Fugitive, the second book in John Pilkington’s Elizabethan mysteries featuring Matthew Cutler #histfic #historicalmystery #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

A BRAND NEW instalment in a gripping Tudor mystery from bestselling author John Pilkington. Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor and S. J. Parris.

This Ward, Cutler… it seethes, does it not?

1595, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Matthew Cutler, constable for the parish of Spitalfields, prides himself on always being on the side of justice. So when a young man on the run, whose only ‘crime’ was protesting about high prices and corruption, hides out in Bishopsgate, not for the first time Cutler finds his duties as constable at odds with his gut feeling. He feels compelled to help him, and not just because his daughter Jane is smitten with the plucky lad…

Meanwhile there is trouble in Bishopsgate as fake coins keep turning up, convincing enough to fool many. Tensions rise and people are in fear of a brutal yet shadowy figure: the ‘coiner’ Thomas Gunnell, who seems to have eyes everywhere. Cutler must once again fall back on his skills of disguise, and risk his own life to root out Gunnell’s gang before they bring chaos to Bishopsgate Ward – and danger to everything he holds dear.

Book cover for Death of a Fugitive by John Pilkington

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/4u5JErw

My Review

Death of a Fugitive is the secod book in the Bishopsgate Ward Mysteries, and I have read book 1.

Like the first book, our main character is Matthew Cutler, although he is assisted by a number of collegues (if such they could be called). The story unfolds mostly through his eyes, as he pieces together events that have occured during a short absence from the ward. Quite a lot of time has elapsed since the first book – his oldest daughter is married, and his wife’s aunt is being pursued by a suitor, while his own fledgling love affair is largely absent in this book, aside from a few odd mentions.

No sooner has he settled in the local tavern, than the mystery begins to unravel. Is there someone passing off fake coins in the area and how are they doing it? Cutler is resolved to finding out.

Like the first book, Death of a Fugitive is filled with information about the late Tudor era. It is also written in a slightly archaic way, (purposefully), but once you get used to it, it doesn’t distract from the story, which rumbles along at a decent enough pace, although I found some elements a little slow.

That said, this was a very enjoyable mystery and Cutler does once more, place himself in terrible danger in order to bring the enemy to justice, making some rather tricky decisions along the way.

Check out my review for book 1 in the series, Death of a Stranger.

Meet the author

A writer for over forty years, John Pilkington was born in Lancashire and worked at many jobs including laboratory assistant, farm worker, weaver, shipping clerk, picture frame-maker and cabaret musician before taking a degree in Drama and English and finding his true 2 vocation. He has since written plays for radio and theatre, television scripts for a BBC soap, a short-lived children’s series and numerous works of historical fiction, concentrating now on the Tudor and Stuart eras. He also ventured into speculative fiction with his biography of Shakespeare’s famous jester, Yorick.

He now lives in a village on a tidal estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.

Connect with the author

Bookbub profile: @jpscript

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from our blog.

I’m reviewing the new book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Italian Mysteries, Murder in Rome by TA Williams #BookReview #BlogTour #CosyCrime #ContemporaryCrime

I’m reviewing the new book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Italian Mysteries, Murder in Rome by TA Williams #BookReview #BlogTour #CosyCrime #ContemporaryCrime

Here’s the blurb

The BRAND NEW instalment in the bestselling, beloved Armstrong & Oscar Cozy Mystery series!

A road leading to Rome

Former DCI Dan Armstrong has been living and working in Florence for nearly three years—yet somehow, Rome has always eluded him. That is, until glamorous TV celebrity Tamsin Goodfaith turns up with a request he can’t refuse: investigate her uncle’s suspicious death in the Eternal City.

Murder at the castle

Philip Hastings was a billionaire financier, found dead at his magnificent—if slightly spooky—medieval castle in the Roman hills. Dan and his faithful canine companion, Oscar, soon find themselves surrounded by luxury, secrets and more suspects than sightseeing opportunities.

This time it’s personal. But when a second murder follows close behind, the case turns dangerously personal. With whispers of ghosts and crumbling alibis, Dan and Oscar must sniff out the truth before he becomes the next victim. Harder to crack than castle walls—and harder still than stopping Oscar from stealing snacks—this Roman holiday is anything but relaxing. .

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/MurderInRome

My Review

Murder in Rome is somehow the 15th book in the Armstrong and Oscar mysteries, and I’ve read them all (apart from 1, which I seem to have missed).

This latest outing sees Dan taking a trip to Rome, somewhere he’s not been before, with Oscar at his side. What he encounters is a palatial residence that seems to be hiding its own secrets, but his remit is simple, determine if Philip was murdered, or whether he really did commit suicide. As Dan begins to investigate there are strange goings-on in the dysfunctional, wealthy family.

Murder in Rome unfolds as earlier books in the series. The reader genuinely doesn’t know who can and can’t be trusted until there is a huge breakthrough. For this one, I loved the historical elements as it’s passed time Anna was able to help Dan solve his cases. Of course, Oscar has a starring role once more too.

Always a guaranteed good read, I didn’t guess who did it! I do love this series.

Check out my reviews for earlier books in the series, and be sure to start at book 1, Murder in Tuscany.

Meet the author

Newsletter Sign Up https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews

Bookbub profile @trevorwilliams3

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

I’m sharing my review for Sacrilege by Keith Moray, a brand new historical mystery set in 1361 #bookreview #blogtour #newrelease

I’m sharing my review for Sacrilege by Keith Moray, a brand new historical mystery set in 1361 #bookreview #blogtour #newrelease #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @KeithMorayTales @rararesources #Sacrilege

I’m sharing my review for Sacrilege by Keith Moray, a brand new historical mystery #bookreview #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

A nun is found dead.

A priest is horribly attacked.

An evil older than sin is loose in Yorkshire…

Marske, 1361. Sir Ralph de Mandeville with his assistants Peter and Merek have recently come from Reeth to hold a court session in Marske but are pulled away at the news of a most heinous crime having been discovered further down the River Swale.

A boat has been found, floating down the river. Inside is a truly horrifying scene – the body of a nun, her wrists cut and her hands fixed in the sign of benediction… As Ralph uses his astute skills of inspection, his mind asks a most difficult question – is this self-murder or murder most foul? Were her last moments spent in benediction prayer… or malediction warning? With both Marrick Priory and Easby Abbey within a stone’s throw of Marske, it appears something is not quite right in the house of God…

When the body of a priest is found mutilated as if by a wild animal, the villagers fear the nun’s body has opened the gates and let loose a monster from Hell… but Ralph starts to wonder if something much more human is at the root of these evils.

As he follows the grim clues, he fears he knows where this miserable sacrilegious journey will end. The question is, can he catch the murderer and prevent more grisly deaths – his own included?

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/SacrilegeBookSocial

Here’s my review

Sacrilege is the second book in the Ralph de Mandeville historical mysteries. I’ve read the first book, so you can check out my review down at the bottom.

Sacrilege starts quicker than the first book, and our first encounter is with Ralph and his two assistants, Merek and Peter, as Ralph holds court in Marske, but the day quickly takes a turn when the body of a nun is found on the river. And so begins another very grizzly, high-body-count mystery that involves both a priory and an abbey, a nobleman, a queen, and the local villages, and is deeply rooted in the area, with its iron smelting and fast-flowing river.

The mystery is tightly plotted and filled with increasing tension as Ralph finds himself butting heads with an uptight nobility who don’t want his interference, as well as a few jobs-worths along the way. And there are many people with secrets they don’t want Ralph to uncover, as well as a brief appearance from Queen Phillipa.

This is an engaging, if sometimes slightly gruesome, read, with no end of peril for our main characters. It is written in such a way that it feels ye-olde-worldly, and the characters embody the thoughts of the day. You can tell Keith has a great deal of medical knowledge! It will certainly appeal to fans of the genre (me), and I do think it can be easily read as a standalone for anyone keen to jump right in with this second book in the series.

Check out my review for Desolation, the first book in the series.

Meet the author

I was born in St Andrews and studied medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland. I lived and worked in Wakefield in Yorkshire for 40 years, within arrow-shot of the ruins of a medieval castle, the base for a series of historical novels.

I am a retired GP, medical journalist and novelist, writing in several genres. As Keith Moray I write historical crime fiction in the medieval era and in ancient Egypt, The Inspector Torquil McKinnon crime novels set on the Outer Hebridean island of West Uist, and as Clay More I write westerns. Curiously, my medical background finds its way into most of my
fiction writing.

In my spare time I enjoy the movies, theatre and making bread. I play golf and I run at carthorse speed. As a frustrated actor I have found occasional solace as a supporting artist, but enough said about that!

I now live in Stratford-upon with my wife Rachel and whichever of our children and grandchildren who happen to pop in.

Connect with the author

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

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

Newsletter Sign Up

Posts

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.

Posts

I’m reviewing Secrets Taken to Grave, a gothic mystery by Isobel Blackthorn set in Scotland #blogtour #histfic #recommended

I’m reviewing Secrets Taken to Grave, a gothic mystery by Isobel Blackthorn #blogtour #histfic

Here’s the blurb

The Scottish Highlands, 1893. Ingrid Barker arrives back at Strathbairn to attend the funeral of her old employer, Charles McCleod.

Every bone in Ingrid’s body screams for her to leave, and as she walks from the graveside, she can’t shake the suspicion that Charles was murdered. As she hurries to uncover the truth and get away from Strathbairn, another murder takes place – one that traps her in the very place she is desperate to escape from.

Running out of time and clues, can Ingrid evade the truth of that terrible night up at the abbey the last time she was here, and can she solve the mystery of Charles’ death before his ghost does away with her?

An unputdownable gothic mystery laced with dark family secrets, SECRETS TAKEN TO THE GRAVE is the second book in the Strathbrain Trilogy series of historical mystery novels by Isobel Blackthorn.

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/mexV8E

My Review

Secrets Taken to the Grave returns the reader to Straithbairn in the Scottish Highlands just before Christmas. It’s bleak. It’s cold, and Ingrid doesn’t truly wish to be there (or does she?), although her daughter is very happy.

We’re thrust back into the dysfunctional household of the McCleods, even though three years have gone by since Ingrid was last there. Almost immediately, Ingrid begins to become aware that all is not quite right. The author does a fabulous job of making the reader share her unease, creating a creepy atmosphere in the household, already riven with disquiet between the siblings.

A thrilling and disquieting return to Straithbairn and a fabulous follow-up to the previous book in the series, What Happened At the Abbey.

Meet the author

Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of immersive and inspiring fiction. She has penned over twenty-five books including a number of bestsellers.

Among her credits, Isobel’s biographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’, which forms the first chapter of her biographical novel Emma’s Tapestry, was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019. One of her Canary Islands novels, A Prison in the Sun, was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the International Book Awards 2021. The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Blackthorn is the author of the world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movement Alice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy. Isobel’s writing has appeared in journals and websites around the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia, Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and On Line Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Australasian Shadow Awards 2020 long fiction category. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has a long-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote in the late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999 Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two high schools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart of England, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of the Upper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events in a range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, UK. She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands. She now lives and writes in Spain. She is currently at work on two novels composed in Spanish.

Connect with the author

https://isobelblackthorn.com/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/isobel-blackthorn

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

I’m sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley, the third book featuring Dorothy and Gina #blogtour #newrelease #comedy

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley #blogtour #newrelease #comedy

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for The Old Girls’ Island Getaway by Kate Galley

Here’s the blurb

Two old friends. One sun-soaked adventure.

Dorothy and Gina may be separated by twenty years, but their friendship is timeless. At seventy-one and nearly ninety, life’s too short not to have a little fun – especially in Corfu.

When Dorothy is invited to visit an old friend at his villa, she insists Gina comes along. They’re looking forward to sunshine, sea breezes, and perhaps a dash of ouzo. But their plans are upended by an unexpected guest: glamorous actress Florence Quinn, who’s taken up residence in the pool house.

Florence may sparkle on the surface, but she’s hiding something – and someone – from her past. Determined to help, Dorothy and Gina embark on a quest across the island, only to find that Corfu holds more secrets, scandals, and surprises than they ever imagined.

A warm, witty, and adventurous tale of friendship, mischief, and unexpected discoveries.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/OldGirlsIslandGetaway

My Review

We’re back with the joyful ‘Old Girls,’ Gina and Dorothy as they jet off for yet another holiday, in the company of Dorothy’s granddaughter. This time, there’s a film star in their midst, threatening to disturb what Dorothy had hoped would be a reunion with a friend at the end of his life. But there are two minor mysteries for our ‘Old Girls’ and Dorothy’s granddaughter to solve – did Rupert play a part in stealing the priceless diamond decades ago – and why is Florence so determined on finding her holiday romance from thirty years ago?

These two mysteries provide the intrigue for the story as Gina is prevailed upon to drive a car around the twisty roads of Corfu and even hops onto a scooter, all in order to aid Florence. Juliet, Dorothy’s granddaughter, provides a welcome boost of humour with her cutting, if mostly true, comments.

As with the previous two books in the series, The Old Girls’ Island Getaway is a charming read, with some funny moments thrown in to remind us all that life doesn’t stop just because the birthdays start to rack up.

Check out my reviews for the previous two books featuring Dorothy and Gina Old Girls Behaving Badly and The Old Girls’ Chateau Escape.

Meet the author

Kate Galley is the author of uplifting golden years fiction, including The Second Chance Holiday Club. She lives with her family in Buckinghamshire and works part time as a mobile hairdresser