Introducing Mercia: A Companion Guide to the Tales of Mercia #ShortStories #Nonfiction #MJPorter #TalesOfMercia
I’ve been working on this for a while
I’m very excited to share with readers that I have FINALLY finished (for now) compiling all my short stories, blog posts, articles and some deleted and alternative scenes from my books set in Mercia. I call the eight series combined The Tales of Mercia, and now you can enjoy all these little extras too, and all in one place (see the list below).
Now, some of these stories have been shared before (in Coelwulf’s Company, and as newsletter subscriber exclusives, and newsletter subscribers have also received an earlier version of the ebook before I’d quite compiled everything). The blog posts should also have appeared here, on the blog, but I thought it was high time they were more readily accessible to readers (and to me). (I did intend to include a character name list as well, but it is a HUGE task, so that’s not yet completed.)
Although some of these stories are only currently available on Amazon or in print/audio copy, I’ve decided to share this collection on Kobo, Apple and maybe some other platforms too, as well as Amazon. This is so readers of those stories available everywhere can also enjoy the short stories.
Check out the details and find the purchase link (or click the image above).
Mercia: A Companion Guide to the Tales of Mercia brings together, for the first time, the short stories, alternative scenes, deleted scenes, and blog posts written about the eight series by MJ Porter set in the ancient Saxon kingdom of Mercia, (The Dark Age Chronicles, The Gods and Kings Trilogy, The House of Mercia, The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, The Mercian Ninth Century, The Sundered Kingdom, The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter and the Earls of Mercia Series.)
Many of these have been published elsewhere, but never in one collection. The companion guide also includes pieces detailing the inspiration behind the many series and characters, as well as the history of the stories.
Includes:
Short Story: Transitions
Short Story: Elen (from the Dark Age Chronicles)
Short Story: A Father’s Son (from after the events of the Gods and Kings Trilogy)
Short Story: from the original Son of Mercia draft
Short Story: Cenfrith (Icel’s Uncle) (The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles)
Short Story: Wynflæd (The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles)
Short Story: A Meeting of Equals (the inspiration for The Last King)
Short Story: Ealdorman Coenwulf (from before The Last King)
Short Story: Lovers (from before The Last King)
Short Story: Icel – AD864 (originally in Coelwulf’s Company)
Short Story: Coelwulf – AD864 (originally in Coelwulf’s Company)
Short Story: Edmund – AD864 (originally in Coelwulf’s Company)
Short Story: Pybba – AD865 (originally in Coelwulf’s Company)
Short Story: Rudolf – AD871 (originally in Coelwulf’s Company)
Short Story: Gardulf – originally in The Last Alliance
Short Story: To Be A King (the Earls of Mercia series)
Short Story: The Prisoner (from after the Earls of Mercia Series)
Deleted Scene from Storm of Mercia (The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles)
Deleted Scene from The Last Shield (The Mercian Ninth Century)
Deleted Scene from The Eagle Will Rise (The Sundered Kingdom)
An Alternative Scene from A Conspiracy of Kings (The Lady of Mercia’s Daughter Duology)
I’m welcoming AB Michaels to the blog with an excerpt from her new release, The Twisted Road #historicalfiction #AmericanHistoricalFiction #NewRelease #BlogTour @ABMichaelsBooks @cathiedunn
@thecoffeepotbookclub
I’m welcoming AB Michaels to the blog with an excerpt from her new release, The Twisted Road #historicalfiction #AmericanHistoricalFiction #NewRelease #BlogTour
I’m sharing an excerpt from chapter 1 ‘Bloody Tuesday’
Nineteen years old, with the long, skinny limbs of a colt, Jimmy Walsh crouched behind a lamppost and shivered in the early morning fog. He dropped the brick he’d been clutching and hesitated before picking it up again. “This ain’t right,” he said, just loud enough for his nearest comrade in arms to hear. “It’s like waitin’ for Beelzebub to unleash his hounds of hell.” Several yards away, the wooden barn that housed the city’s electric trolley cars remained shuttered, but the sounds inside, muted through the mist, told him the show was about to begin.
Toke Griffin, a rock in one meaty hand, took a drag of his cheroot with the other. The smoke mixed with the fog, obscuring his leathered face. Two decades older than Jimmy, he was a union man from way back. This strike was nothing new. “Yeah, well them mutts are takin’ our jobs and we got to stop ’em any way we can.” He tossed the rock a few times and caught it. “They’re scabs and rotten to the core. We got to let them know it.” The gas-powered streetlight above Jimmy hissed, letting off sparks and a sulfurous belch. Toke barked in appreciation. “Even the damn lamp’s on our side.”
“Shut the hell up!” Another hiss—this one from a fellow striker, positioned behind one of the barbed wire barriers the scabs had set up to protect the cars. “You’ll give us away.”
Toke continued to grouse but lowered his voice. “Hell, you think they don’t know we’re out here? They’re chompin’ at the bit same as us.” He tossed his rock again. “But we got right on our side, just like old Davey and Goliath. You wait and see.”
Jimmy tried to swallow but couldn’t get passed his Adam’s apple. Lord, he wished he had some water or somethin’ else to calm the jitters taking over his body. Even his lucky red flannel shirt was no help. Why didn’t he keep the grub his mother had given him as he’d left that morning? She’d been up before him, knowing he had to go and not even trying to talk him out of it. “You keep your head down,” she warned as she handed him the bag with bread and cheese and a slice of apple cake in it. She’d even put in a mason jar full of cider.
“Sure, sure, Ma,” he’d told her, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.” Giving her a peck on the cheek, he’d headed out, but once around the corner, he’d ditched the bag, thinking it would look squirrelly bringing a lunch sack to a riot. What a damn fool.
It shouldn’t have come to this. It’d been over a year since the earthquake and fire had torn up the city, and the roads were still a tangled, busted-up mess. It was tricky driving the streetcars, and there were fewer drivers to boot. All the union wanted was an eight hour day and three bucks a shift. But United Railroads kept bickering with the city over repairs and used that excuse to refuse the union’s demands. What else could the carmen do but strike? Then the company brought in the Farleymen to drive the cars—four hundred of them! It stunk to high heaven and Toke had the right of it: they had to stop the scabs from taking their jobs.
The crowd outside the barricade was growing. Jimmy saw groups of Poles and Italians and Irish, even Chinese. They weren’t members of his union, but they were workingmen all the same, showing their support. That was labor for you, sticking together to get the job done. But there were also women and kids pouring out onto the street, like it was a parade or something! Thank God Ma had stayed home; he hoped his cousin was smart enough to keep her distance, too. This kind of ruckus was no place for females.
But damn if there weren’t plenty of ladies mixed in with everybody else, a lot of them young and fired up, itchin’ for a fight just like the men. He’d never admit it, but deep down, part of him admired their courage. Like Toke said, they were sticking up for what was right.
He was chewing on those thoughts when the big wooden doors on the barn began to slide open with a screech and the streetcars lumbered out, each driven by a scab, and each protected by several men with clubs and a guard with a rifle. The clock in the tower above the car barn soon started chiming the hour, but it was nearly drowned out by all the people screaming insults as they surged through an opening where the cars were supposed to leave the yard.
The strikers rushed by Jimmy, shoving him out of the way and already throwing whatever they’d been carrying—rocks and bricks and bottles—toward the scabs. Some strikers on the roofs pushed iron girders they must have got from construction sites; the beams hit the cars with a sickening clang.
Jimmy started to throw his brick, but stopped when he got a look at the second car and who was guarding it. Damnation, it was Emmett Barnes! That sonofabitch used to be a union man—not to mention Jimmy’s best friend—and now he was a hired gun for the Farleymen! He watched Emmett shoot his rifle into the air a few times, and his shots were answered by rooftop union men protecting the strikers on the ground. He couldn’t see Emmett’s face too well, but he bet his ex-friend wasn’t happy, especially since his shots hadn’t stopped the crowd from swarming around his car. Jimmy wasn’t part of that crowd; he couldn’t make himself move—like he was paralyzed or something—as he watched it all unfold.
A brick sailed through the air and hit Emmett in the face; he dropped down, and Jimmy couldn’t see him anymore. He glanced to his left and saw a man taking photographs of everybody. “Quit takin’ pictures!” Jimmy yelled at him. “Get out of the way—you’re gonna get hurt!”
More and more people began pushing Jimmy from behind, determined to stop the cars from running. He turned back to Emmett’s car and saw … and saw the rifle pointed toward the crowd from another angle. No, pointed right at him. Emmett? It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t do that, would he? He wouldn’t—
Jimmy Walsh started to put his head down like his ma had told him, but he wasn’t fast enough. He heard the crack of the rifle and felt the thump of the bullet hitting his skull. Then he felt nothing at all.
Here’s the blurb
1907
Rising from the devastation of a massive earthquake and fire, San Francisco is once again on the move. But a strike by streetcar drivers threatens to halt the Golden City in its tracks. Protests turn to violence and violence leads to death. Soon a young guard is convicted of willfully killing a protester and the public is out for blood.
Jonathan Perris, an immigrant attorney from England, has opened a law firm with an eye toward righting wrongs, and the guard’s conviction may fall into that category. But the talented barrister soon finds his newfound career shaken by a tragic event: the gruesome murder of the beautiful and mysterious Lena Mendelssohn—a woman he’s been squiring around town. It’s difficult to run a law firm when you’ve been arrested for murder.
A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing the kind of page-turning fiction she loves to read. She writes historical fiction (“The Golden City” series), historical mystery (the “Barrister Perris” series) and contemporary romantic suspense (“Sinner’s Grove Suspense.”). All three series are character-linked and all are stand-alone reads.
Michaels lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and elderly wiener dog, Teddy, who cannot see or hear, but sniffs his way from one comfortable spot to another. In addition to writing and dog-snuggling, Michaels is an avid reader, traveller, quilter and bocce player, as well as a mediocre but enthusiastic golfer.
(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.
There are a lot of writing guides out there – with lovely sections for detailed planning, character development, and all the other bits that go into PLANNING a story, (there are also a lot of online resources too), but I’ve yet to find one for a Pantser (the opposite of a planner), and one that will provide a physical, handwritten record of all those pesky bits writers forget, and which can be absolutely invaluable when editing or moving onto the next book in a series.
So I’ve made one. This is a true notebook, not a guide. It has spaces for all the ‘bits’ I need to note down when writing. At the end of it, you should have a lovely book bible that will help you with future projects. I think it sounds fab:) It’s not quite A4 size (as KDP doesn’t offer that size), but it is a decent size with lots of room for recording your word count, your characters’ names, the locations you use – and with a timeline as well (see the images below). I hope my fellow pantsers will find it useful. (This is a physical book, not an ebook – see below for other options).
I’ve also set this up as a digital download on my Patreon (with slightly different colours that hopefully won’t drain your ink supply). You can find it by clicking here. You can decide how many times to print each page and each section is included.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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…”
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.
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.
I’m welcoming Hidden Truth by CD Steele to the blog with an excerpt and a fab competition to enter #blogtour #Mystery #NewRelease
I’m welcoming Hidden Truth by CD Steele to the blog
This extract is from chapter 9. It is an exchange between Joe Wilde and a man named Colin Nelson. Joe is currently investigating the disappearance of Julie Turnbull and Colin Nelson had been stalking Julie for a period of time.
Just as Joe was about to pull up he saw a man walk out of his front gate and start walking in the direction of the town centre. Joe parked his car as quickly as he could, got out, then started walking at a fast pace so he could catch up with the man. When he was within earshot he called out to catch his attention.
‘Mr Nelson.’
The man turned around with a curious look on his face.
‘Sorry to bother you Mr Nelson, I just wanted to speak to you about Julie Turnbull if that’s OK.’
He looked at Joe suspiciously.
‘Wh-who are you? An-and what d-do you want?’
Colin Nelson spoke with a slight stutter. He was at least six feet tall and had a long thin face and his receding hairline made it look more elongated. The hair on top of his head or what was left of it was brushed forward, but it was so thin on top it almost looked see-through.
‘My name is Joe Wilde and I have been hired by Julie’s mother to investigate her daughter’s disappearance.’
‘That had n-nothing to do with me; the po-police questioned me at the time.’
‘I am not suggesting you did have anything to do with her disappearance, I would just like to talk to you briefly about her. Maybe we could talk while we are walking, where are you headed?’
‘I-I am going to the Po-Post Office.’
Joe had to fight to suppress a smile.
‘That’s where Julie used to work wasn’t it — you used to go in there quite often didn’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Sometimes it was for no other reason than just to see Julie.’
‘I-I told you I-I had nothing to do with her disappearance, I-I w-would never have done anything to hurt her, she was my friend.’
‘You wanted to be more than just friends though, didn’t you?’
‘Yes, I wa-was in love with her and I-I thought she felt the same about m-me.’
‘You knew she was married and even when she made it clear that she did not feel the same way about you, you continued to pester her in the Post Office. Then when you were banned from there you proceeded to stalk her.’
‘I just had to keep seeing her, ju-just being ne-near her, she made me happy.’
‘You do realise that your behavior really unsettled her, made her feel uncomfortable and a little scared.’
‘I-I would never have hurt her and I didn’t want to sc-scare her.’
‘But she didn’t know that, following someone around is not normal behavior, can you not see that now?’
‘Ye-yes I-I suppose, but I had stopped following her well before sh-she went missing.’
‘Only because her husband and his mate threatened to beat you up if you didn’t stop. They just threatened you didn’t they or did they take it further than that?’
‘No, they ju-just thre-threatened me that time, they didn’t beat up.’
‘What do you mean that time, are you saying they paid you another visit at a later date and beat you up that time?’
‘Yes, well th-the husband didn’t, hi-his mate did.’
‘So his mate came to see you on his own and beat you up, when was this?
‘It was only about t-two or three we-weeks after they both confronted me.’
‘Where did this altercation take place?’
‘It was at the local pa-park, I-I often go there to feed the ducks — h-he must have followed me there. At one point I-I went to the toilet block and he ju-jumped me in there. H-he punched me to the ground then st-started kicking me, it felt like it went on for a-ages but it was probably only a couple of minutes.’
‘Did he say anything whilst he was doing it or afterwards?’
‘Just that I-I sh-should stay away from Ju-Julie if I knew what’s good for me.’
‘Did you go to the police about this?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘I just wanted t-to forget the wh-whole thing, try to forget about Julie and keep my head down, I-I don’t like confrontation. If he had ever done it again I might have gone to the p-po-police.’
‘Did he ever accuse you of being behind her disappearance after she went missing?’
‘No, I never saw him again.’
By now they had reached the Post Office.
‘Will y-you wa-want to speak with me more a-a-after I come back out?’
‘No that’s OK, if I need to speak with you again Mr Nelson I will get back in contact.’
Here’s the blurb
Private Investigator Joe Wilde is investigating the murder of Philippa Redmond a former Labour MP. She had been found dead in her sauna over the Christmas holidays six weeks ago. The majority of her family had been staying with her at the time, but the police didn’t regard any of them as suspects. Evidence suggested an intruder had got into her home.
Joe also takes on a cold case of a missing woman named Julie Turnbull. She had disappeared six years ago without a trace. Meanwhile Joe’s good friend DI Whatmore is investigating the horrific murder of a woman who was burnt alive in her own home. His investigation crosses over with Joe’s missing person investigation. As they conduct their own investigations there are more killings.
DI Whatmore and Joe must join forces to track down a serial killer and solve a puzzling mystery, but doing so puts them and others in grave danger.
C.D Steele works as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service. He has a degree in Recreation Management and lives in County Down, Northern Ireland. This is his third novel and is the next book in the Joe Wilde Series after False Truth and Dark Truth.
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I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Husband is Hushed Up #bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader @rararesources @rachelsrandomresources @helengoldenauthor
I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Dowager is Done-in #bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader
Here’s the blurb
A mysterious summons. A fatal hot chocolate. And a duchess who never expected mourning to be this dreadfully dull.
Hampshire, 1891. Six months into widowhood, Alice, Duchess of Stortford, is restless. Black gowns and seclusion in the country have their limits, so when Clarissa, Dowager Countess of Romley, sends a personal summons asking for her discreet assistance with a troubling matter at Lawrence House, Alice seizes the excuse for a change of scene.
But what begins as a family gathering to welcome home the Dowager’s once-disgraced son ends in shock. Clarissa is discovered dead, her passing swiftly dismissed as a heart attack. Alice knows better. The Dowager had been afraid — and had trusted her to uncover the truth. Someone silenced her, but why? Was it to do with the announcement she made over dinner, or something even more dangerous?
Now everyone in the house is a suspect: the resentful heir, the returning prodigal, the mysterious guest with a too-familiar face. With her sharp-witted maid Maud, steadfast footman George, and her reluctant ally Lord Rushton at her side, Alice must act quickly. If the Dowager was murdered to keep her secrets buried, the killer will not hesitate to strike again.
The Dowager is dead. The clock is ticking. And the duchess is about to discover that country house parties can be murder.
Full of clever twists and a heroine who won’t give up until she finds out the truth, A Dowager is Done-in is the perfect escape for fans of historical mysteries wrapped in wit and warmth.
A Dowager is Done-in is the second full length novel in the Duchess of Stortford cosy historical mystery series.
Some time has gone by since the events of book 1, but Alice is still deemed to be in mourning, so her summons to attend upon Clarissa is met with some uncertainty. Would it be appropriate for her to attend? I think we all know she’ll find her way there, one way or another.
The mystery then unfolds at a fair pace. Who killed Clarissa and why? Alice and her helpers are determined to find out, especially as no one else truly suspects a murder has been committed.
This has all the feels of a classic country house murder mystery, with the rowing family and others with a keen eye to profit from the dowager countess’s will, if only the new will can be found. Alice manages to just about avoid scandal with her investigation, and this was another enjoyable cosy historical mystery.
Check out my reviews for the books in Helen Golden’s Right Royal Mystery series, featuring one of Lady Alice’s descendants.
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.
MJ Porter 