book review – MJ Porter

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.

I’m welcoming The Dowager’s Grand Triumph by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance

I’m welcoming The Dowager’s Grand Triumph by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance @rararesources

I’m welcoming The Dowager’s Grand Triumph by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance

Here’s the blurb

Caroline, Dowager Marchioness of Lewiston, has long since made peace with the life she was given: a grand title, a comfortable house, and a heart carefully trained not to want what it cannot have.

Then Thomas Ashcombe returns.

Years ago, Thomas was the man she loved—and lost. Now he is a wealthy merchant newly arrived from India, bringing with him not only a fortune, but a daughter, Anjali, whose place in English society is as uncertain as her father’s safety. Thomas has come home with dangerous evidence of corruption connected to the East India Company, and powerful men will do anything to silence him.

When Thomas is falsely imprisoned under suspicion of treason, Caroline must decide whether she is willing to risk her reputation, her family, and her carefully ordered world for the man she never forgot.

Sir Julian Meredith has always preferred legal arguments to drawing-room conversation. Awkward, red-haired, and far too honest for his own comfort, he is no one’s idea of a romantic hero—least of all his own. But when Anjali Ashcombe’s courage draws him into a web of secrets, forged loyalties, and political danger, Julian discovers that love may require a bravery no courtroom ever demanded of him.

As Caroline and Thomas fight for a second chance, and Julian and Anjali reach for a future neither of them expected, one question remains: can love survive when truth itself has become a crime?

Purchase Link

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

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

Book review for a delightful cozy mystery, set in France, The Fatal Farandole by Ana T Drew #cozymystery #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for a delightful cozy mystery, set in France, The Fatal Farandole by Ana T Drew #cozymystery #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for a delightful cozy mystery, set in France, The Fatal Farandole by Ana T Drew #cozymystery #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

The Fatal Farandole is a cozy mystery full of plot twists and small-town secrets. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven crime novels with emotional depth.

A beloved Provençal festival.
A murderous conspiracy.
A bullfighter who knows too much.

When two local chefs are killed within a week, shockwaves ripple through the region’s tight-knit culinary world.

Suspicion lands squarely on baker Julie Cavallo.

As whispers turn to accusations, her eccentric family closes ranks, and her loyal friends rally to her side.

But Julie’s running out of time. Her pastry shop is at risk. Her love life is unraveling. The gendarmes are tracking her every move. Julie can’t afford to wait for the official investigation to uncover the truth.

Her instincts go into overdrive. Dots connect. Patterns appear…

Can Julie make it through this case, when asking the right questions has already gotten others killed?

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F749KMMK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F749KMMK

My Review

The Fatal Farandole is the latest release in this cozy mystery series. As it’s book 9, it did take me a while to get to know the characters. And although I’m never one to say you have to read a series in order, perhaps on this occasion, it might help to start with the first book, especially as the new mystery is so good.

We begin straight away with our character in a tricky situation and the story unfolds quickly from there, as we learn what’s happening, alongside our main character.

There is much discussion of food and mysteries and I look forward to going back to the beginning with this engaging and well-written mystery.

Meet the author

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind a recent string of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. A first-place winner of the Chanticleer MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards, her books have been released in several languages, both independently and through traditional houses, including HarperCollins France and Straarup & Co.

When she’s not plotting mysteries, Ana can be found perfecting her low-carb cookie recipes or watching The Rookie to cope with the void left by Castle.

Ana lives in Paris with her husband and their dog, but her heart resides in Provence.

https://www.ana-drew.com

Giveaway to Win a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series (Open INT)

Win a boxset of the three books in the Provence Mysteries Series (Open INT)

https://gleam.io/W5YAJ/win-a-boxset-of-the-three-books-in-the-provence-mysteries-series-open-int

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from our 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.

Book Review. Harbour of Thieves by Richard Cullen, a brand new 19th century tale of smugglers and North Yorkshire #historicalfiction #bookreview

I’m reviewing Harbour of Thieves by Richard Cullen, a brand new 19th century tale of smugglers and North Yorkshire #historicalfiction #bookreview @boldwoodbooks @wordhog

Here’s the blurb

An epic NEW historical crime story of treachery and bitter rivalry between Yorkshire’s tough smuggling gangs 💥 Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series, House of Guinness and Peaky Blinders 🩸⚔️

Can one man forget his past, or will he be dragged back into the world of violence he worked hard to leave behind?

Yorkshire, 1840

Along this treacherous Yorkshire coastline, the cutthroat industry of smuggling thrives, and two rival gangs rule the night… the Stringers of Bay Town and the Lambs of Ravenscar. Waging a war for control of the contraband that flows through England’s northern cities.

After a lifetime of violence and bloodshed, Jim Hood returns to his hometown of Whitby with his friend Samuel Comus, their pockets heavy with prize money from their exploits along the African coast. They dream of respectability, of turning their backs on their past, but old friends and enemies await, and old habits die hard…

When tragedy strikes, and Jim’s well-laid plans turn to ash, Jim is forced to return to the brutal world he’d sworn to leave behind.

Now he must navigate the deadly currents that flow between rival smuggling empires, where childhood loyalties war with newfound enemies, and where the price of survival might be the very soul he’d fought so hard to reclaim.

Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett and Dan Jones.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/4n47Yrb

My Review

Harbour of Thieves is a rollicking good read set in the 1840s, in and around the coastline of Whitby and Scarborough (North Yorkshire) and focuses on the underbelly of smuggling as two rival bands face not one, but two enemies, and are riven with discord between each other as well.

We have multiple characters in this thrilling, fast-paced tale, and we also need to give a shout-out to the Yorkshire weather! There are many characters we simply despise, a few we quite like, and others we can perhaps admire, while being grateful never to be faced with the decisions they have to make. We have strong women, even stronger women and those we think we should pity but who, in their own way, are perhaps the strongest of all. We have villains aplenty, from the excise man to the leader of the Lambs, who is a nasty piece of work.

The story is fast and satisfying, as events wrap around our would-be heroes, forcing them to make hard decisions to survive. This is a thrilling adventure of high stakes and high seas, and I devoured it in only 24 hours!

Check out my review for Rebellion, the first book in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series.

Meet the author

Richard Cullen is a writer of historical adventure and epic fantasy. Previously published by Head of Zeus and Orbit Books, his new historical adventure series for Boldwood, Chronicles of the Black Lion, set in thirteenth-century England, will launch in October 2024.

Connect with the author

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

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 delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s Tribune and the Sword #historicalfiction #bookreview #RomanEra

I’m delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s Tribune and the Sword, #historicalfiction #bookreview #RomanEra #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @AdamPLofthouse @rararesources

I’m delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s Tribune and the Sword #historicalfiction #bookreview #RomanEra

Here’s the blurb

August. 383 AD. Flavius Maximus has declared himself emperor and crossed into Gaul. The civil war with Gratian has been short, and the rightful ruler of the West lies in an early grave.

Now two men face off across an empire. Theodosius in the east, his armies large but reliant on mercenaries. Maximus in the west, his forces small, but battle hardened and loyal to a fault.

In the middle of the chaos, at the heart of a dying world, two old friends march at the heads of opposing forces. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus fights for the West. Not out of loyalty to Maximus, but to his two sons who are bound by oath to fight for the pretender.

And General Gaius Felicius for the East. Outcasted by Maximus, he will stop at nothing to see the usurper toppled. But if his old friend stands in his path, is the road to vengeance still one he will choose to tread?

War is coming, and both men must look inside themselves and decide what is greater: the cause they fight for, or the bonds of fellowship. 🔥⚔️

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/TribuneandtheSword

My Review

This is the third book in the series featuring Victorinus and Felicius. What began on the Wall of Hadrian now takes us far from the frigid north of England and to the heart of two emperor’s kingdoms. And as if discord between them isn’t threat enough, there is a new conspiracy to plague our two war-weary warriors and Victorinus and Felicius are in it up to their necks.

This is such a well-paced novel, the conspiracy and action building, layer upon layer, and I have absolutely devoured it. Do I recommend starting at the beginning of the trilogy? Yes, I do, but equally, if you want to start here, then I do think it would be readable as a standalone.

Another triumph for Adam. I do love his books, and it’s his fault my historical fiction reading now extends back into the Roman era.

Check out my reviews for Eagle and the Flame and Wolf and the Crown.

Meet the author

Adam has for many years held a passion for the ancient world.
As a teenager he picked up Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden, and has been obsessed with all things Rome ever since.

After ten years of immersing himself in stories of the Roman world, he decided to have a go at writing one for himself, and hasn’t stopped since. Check out the books on the website, or follow Adam on Social Media for regular updates.

Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamPLofthouse
Find him on Facebook: facebook.com/AdamPLofthouse
Instagram: adamplofthouse

https://www.adamlofthouse.com

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 sharing my review for Operation Berlin by Michael Ridpath #blogtour #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for Operation Berlin by Michael Ridpath #blogtour #bookreview #OperationBerlin #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources @michaelridpathauthor

I’m sharing my review for Operation Berlin by Michael Ridpath #blogtour #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

In a city rebuilding from war, truth can be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Berlin, 1930.

Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent. When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a perilous hunt for the truth.

Their investigation cuts through the glittering façades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war – where resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe. Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.

A tense, atmospheric mystery set in a world between wars – perfect for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Trilogy, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, and Alan Furst’s spy novels.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/operationberlinsocial

My Review

Operation Berlin wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but if anything, that’s a good thing. I was expecting a somewhat taut thriller, but instead was pleasantly surprised to read something with more of a cosy crime feel, though deeply steeped in the era’s events.

Archie and Esme are entertaining characters, both with their own backstories, and while the storyline engages with the social mores of the time, it is far from shocking in this day and age. I also enjoyed the addition of Moses and hope he might appear in future books. I very much enjoyed Archie’s quest to track down information on the general he’s researching, as it meant I was educated on more than just 1930s Berlin.

Overall, a very pleasant surprise. I imagine I will try more of Michael’s books in the future.

Meet the author

Michael Ridpath is the bestselling author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers. His first novel, after a career in finance, was Free to Trade, a No 2 bestseller about the murky world of bond trading which was translated into over thirty languages. He is currently writing the Foreign Correspondent series of murder mysteries set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s. He splits his time between London and Massachusetts.