As Valentine’s Day rolls around, Martha Miller finds herself unusually melancholy at the state of her own love life. With husband Stan still missing and with her growing feelings for Vicar Luke still shrouded in secrecy, there’s only one place Martha can go – famous local beauty spot, Lovers’ Leap.
Legend has it that those with a broken heart throw themselves off the bridge that spans the river, but Martha is certainly not about to do such a thing! But it looks like someone else has had other ideas…. Because there in the river, Martha finds a body. But is this misadventure, a moment of lovesick madness, or is foul play afoot? Martha knows one thing…the villagers of Westleham have another crime to solve! Let the investigation commence! Find out if Martha and Luke can catch the killer in a brand new Martha Miller mystery from bestselling author Catherine Coles.
My Review
Death at Lovers’ Leap is a welcome return to the village of Westleham and Martha Miller (and her trusty dog). An innocent walk quickly turns to tragedy for Martha, as she ends up, not only coated in mud from head to toe, but discovering the body of one of the local young men.
As ever, Martha is determined to discover the culprit, and with the aid of the vicar, Luke, and her two trusty nosy neighbours, she begins to do just that, uncovering a web of deceit which extends even to the grave.
Death at Lover’s Leap is another really well thought out cosy mystery, where a cup of tea is never far from the lips of our characters, and where the privations of post-war Britain are kept firmly in mind.
A delightful mystery. I’ve been reading Catherine Coles books for a good few years now. Martha is a great creation, and this is another really good addition to the series. Fans of cosy crime will really enjoy the mystery.
Catherine Coles writes bestselling cosy mysteries set in the English countryside. Her extremely popular Tommy & Evelyn Christie series is based in North Yorkshire in the 1920’s and Catherine herself lives in Hull with her family and two spoiled dogs.
Murder at Raven’s Edge(An English Village Mystery Book 1)
When Milla Graham returns to her childhood home of Raven’s Edge after eighteen long years away, she finds the perfect English village looks much the same – all rose-covered cottages, nosy neighbours, and quaint teashops full of scones and gossip.
But her nostalgic visit takes a dark turn when the body of a local woman is discovered in an abandoned manor house on the edge of the forest. The murder scene is chillingly close to that of Milla’s own mother, whose death was never solved. As she begins to investigate the connection, Milla realises this adorable village is guarding some dark secrets.
Handsome, grumpy local police detective Ben Taylor doesn’t believe in coincidences, and he doesn’t think mysterious newcomer Milla Graham is as blameless as she seems. Why is she really here in Raven’s Edge, and how come she keeps turning up at his crime scenes, causing trouble? Can he solve this murder case without losing himself – or his heart – to the rather distracting Ms Graham?
When another body is found, everyone becomes a suspect – from the barmaid at the local pub to Milla Graham herself. It seems that in Raven’s Edge, not everybody is as friendly, or as innocent, as they first seem.
This picture-perfect English village is full of rumour, romance… and murder! A gripping, funny, absolutely unputdownable murder mystery, which is perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Fiona Leitch and M.C. Beaton.
Murder at Ravenswood House(An English Village Mystery Book 2)
A gruesome murder in charming Raven’s Edge sends Milla Graham sleuthing to catch a killer, win back her detective ex, and dig up a decades-old secret along the way…
When a shocking murder rocks the picture-perfect English village of Raven’s Edge, erstwhile amateur detective Milla Graham finds herself right at the centre of the mystery. Still reeling from her recent breakup with local police officer Ben Taylor, Milla sets her sights on solving the case, hoping to win Ben back.
But when the evidence begins to point to Milla’s old friend and former paramour Lorcan Black, she must choose between her loyalties to the past and the possibilities of the future. Meanwhile, Ben is on a different trail – he’s begun to suspect that the murderer could be someone from his own family’s dark history.
Further complicating matters are Milla’s meddling grandmother, Ben’s no-nonsense police partner Harriet, and David the surprisingly young and sexy new vicar. With shocking twists around every cobblestone corner, the truth refuses to stay buried for long in this quaint village, whose picture-postcard façade hides decades of buried grudges, plots, and betrayal.
Will Milla solve the mystery in time to rescue her relationship with Ben? Can Ben face the skeletons in his family’s closet before one of his own relatives meets the same bloody end?
Brimming with drama, intrigue, romance and quirky characters, this addictive tale will have cosy mystery fans racing through the pages long into the night. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Fiona Leitch will love this book!
Louise Marley writes murder mysteries and romantic comedies. She is lucky enough to live in a village where there is a famous library and TWO ruined castles. (Her husband still thinks they moved there by accident.)
Her first published novel was Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which was a finalist in Poolbeg’s ‘Write a Bestseller’ competition. She has also written articles for the Irish press and short stories for women’s magazines such as Take a Break and My Weekly. Previously, Louise worked as a civilian administrative officer for the police.
Since moving to Raven Creek, Phoebe Winchester has had a lot on her plate.
She’s renovating the Victorian manor she inherited from her Aunt Eudora, running a tea shop (and secret magical apothecary), and learning to be a witch. But when she discovers a dead body at an estate sale, and suspicion falls on her, even Phoebe wonders if this is simply too much.
Forced to take action to clear her name, Phoebe enlists Rich Lofting, handsome private detective and childhood friend, to assist with her investigation, all while sorting out her unresolved feelings for him.
Is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows of this small tight-knit town? And does Phoebe really want to find out?
Spellbound is a cosy crime featuring our main character, Phoebe, who is a book-shop owner, bread-baker, owned by a cat, and a little bit of a modern-day witch. This isn’t spell-casting witchcraft, but rather a woman with some additional powers with which to imbue her teas and cakes.
When not baking, fixing up her house, being a general ‘good-egg’ and deciding whether or not to risk a romance with a new man, Phoebe manages to embroil herself in a crime, which somehow, finds her, and her cat implicated.
What ensues is a small-town, feel-good, crime busting episode, as Phoebe, determined to clear her name, gets into one or two scrapes before finally finding the true culprit.
This is an enjoyable, light-hearted read, with enough intrigue to keep the reader intrigued.
Meet the author
Gretchen Rue lives in the Canadian prairies, which affords her ample time to read during six months of winter. She plays cat mom to four mostly indifferent fur children, and plant mom to roughly 100 very demanding flora. When she isn’t sipping tea and working on her next novel, she enjoys swimming, hiking, and watching baseball.
War is creeping back into the land. As silent as snowfall, as inevitable as winter. They’ve had sixteen years of peace, but all things must end.
Tribune Sixtus Victorinus has grown old, complacent. Blind to the truth that stares him in the face, he contents himself with what he has. He runs errands for the Dux Britanniarum Flavius Maximus and watches with joy as his boys grow to become men.
It is his friend, Prefect Gaius Felicius, who first spots the signs. Once more, the Caledonian tribes are rearing their heads in the north, but the greatest danger does not lie with them.
For there is a new pretender to the throne of the West. Another man who seeks to drape himself in purple. Caught up in a scheme they cannot comprehend, Victorinus and Felicius must navigate their way through both a war in the depths of winter, and a treasonous plot that will shake the Roman Empire to its core.
A new age dawns on the men of Britannia. For Victorinus, he must fight for the right to see the sun rise over it.
I’ve just been checking my review for book 1 in this series, and I see I also gave it five stars. Adam is a lucky author because I’m always told that I don’t often hand out a 5-star review. (Check out my review for Valentia here).
And he’ll be pleased to know he’s done it again with Usurper.
I will say that this era – the coming end of Roman Britain fascinates me. Adam’s recreation of it speaks to me. We know what’s coming. The people in these books do not, although perhaps they suspect it.
Usurper continues the story from Valentia, but we move forward 16 years. Our two main characters remain Tribune Sixtus Victorinus and Felicius. Felicius is still a career Roman. Sixtus is not. They are both older, perhaps wiser, and contending with the results of their decisions as younger men.
Sixtus has finally given up the drink, but he is beset with heartache at the breakdown of his marriage and the long-ago death of his small son, which he missed because he was away fighting. Sixtus is a man trying to do his best in a world where the Roman influence of his younger days seems to have bled away. He’s still a friend and ally of Theodosius, the younger emperor, and indeed, they remain in contact via letter – a fabulous device ensuring the reader knows what’s happening beyond the shores of Britannia.
With all that said, this is an action-packed novel. There is barely a chapter that goes by without one fight or another. As we travel from Londinium to many locations on the Wall and even further north, Sixtus gets an absolute beating. Drost makes a welcome reappearance, and conspiracies abound. The set-up for book 3 in this trilogy is impeccably well-paced – I didn’t know how the book would end – although I had some suspicions. It didn’t do what I thought it would, and now I can’t wait for the concluding volume in the trilogy.
It is a fabulous Roman-era action and adventure story that rings with conviction and conspiracy, which readers of the genre will devour.
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
‘Angelica had always known her lack of high birth, fortune or influence debarred her from being presented as an eligible young woman worthy of marriage. To cap it all, being an actress assured she was utterly beyond the pale of respectability.’
Nightly at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, an enchanting actress is wowing the crowds with her affecting portrayal of Ophelia. Preyed on by rakes and opportunistic young bucks, feted by dukes and earls, even the Prince Regent himself, Angelica Leigh is a sensation.
But in Regency England, beauty and talent are not enough to be considered marriage material, so when the eminently eligible Lord Charles Latimer sets his heart on Angelica, his uncle is sent to intervene.
As a highly respected, hard-working and wealthy lawmaker, The Honourable Ivor Asprey, is himself seen as desirable husband material, but widowed with an eleven-year-old daughter Elinor, he has forsaken all thoughts of romance. Lord Latimer’s mother, the Duchess of Arlington, despairs of her son, despite being reassured by Ivor that his infatuation with the actress will pass. But there is something about Angelica Leigh that demands attention, and even the austere and upstanding Mr Asprey isn’t immune to her charms.
Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Dunn brings the Regency period irresistibly to life. Perfect for fans of Jane Austen. Janice Hadlow, Gill Hornby, and anyone with a Bridgerton-shaped hole in their lives.
A Scandalous Match returns us to Jane Dunn’s wonderful reimagining of Regency England. Our heroine this time is Angelica, our hero Ivor. Both of them are very different characters. The chemistry between them takes some time to develop, but when it does, it is quite explosive.
A Scandalous Match contains all the elements of a Regency romance we would expect, including the stubborn heroine and equally stubborn hero, their failure to speak plainly, and the reach of society that endeavours to keep them apart. But, as with Jane’s previous books, there is the fascinating element of ‘other’ in there as well. The servants aren’t faceless and nameless. The conventions of the times are laid bare, and the peripheral characters also ‘buck’ against the trends we might expect. It all adds a delicious quantity to the books, which I adore, from the ‘cant’ of the servants to the slightly risqué relationship of Angelica’s mother and her ‘keeper.’ I also adore how the obsession with horses is constantly explored, just as in today’s day and age, we might brag about our high-end cars.
Another thrilling and enthralling read. Readers of Regency Romance, and romance in general, will delight in travelling to Jane’s Regency England.
Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She comes to Boldwood with her first fiction outing – a trilogy of novels set in the Regency period, the first of which is to be published in January 2023. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.
Cocktails, chaos, and an unexpected twist. Can Perry and his hens unveil the truth before time runs out?
Death at Prestigious Hotel and Spa, Chasingham House
We are hearing reports that a young woman has been found dead at Chasingham House, the exclusive venue in the Cotswolds. She has not been named, and the cause of death is unknown at this time. This will no doubt cast a cloud over the bachelor weekend being hosted there by Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, for her business partner Perry Juke (34) ahead of his wedding to bestselling author and celebrity chef Simon Lattimore (40). Also staying at Chasingham House are top models Camile Redmaine (35) and Mel Parks (35), who are celebrating newly-single Cammy’s birthday with a group of friends.
When one of the birthday girls is found dead in her room, it’s clear Bea plans for her, Perry, and their friends to chill around the pool, have a few treatments, and generally relax, seem to have gone down the drain. When the local police are quick to dismiss the death as an accident, Bea is determined to help investigate anyway, along with the rest of Perry’s party.
Can Perry and his hens catch the killer before the weekend is over and the trail goes cold?
A Cocktail to Die For is a fabulous addition to the Right Royal Cozy Mystery series.
Taking us away from any of the more usual ‘royal’ residences, we are in the Cotswolds, attending Perry’s stag do. But of course, our intrepid gang don’t seem to be able to go anywhere without someone turning up dead.
Bea, Perry and Adler try to solve the mystery of who and how our victim might have been murdered while contending with an officious and ineffectual local detective.
As always, these stories are well-plotted and engaging. While a few of the main characters might be missing from this tale, Adler as a main character more than compensates. It’s also reassuring to know that now the ‘big’ mystery has been solved which has rumbled through many of the previous books, this series has still go ‘legs’, and I hope there will be many more books.
Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
Check out my reviews for the other books in this fabulous series.
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
In 2023, I set myself the task of reading 52 books, or one book a week, but I smashed that, reading/listening to more than double that number. So, what have I been reading?
I’ve taken part in many blog tours, and I also read a lot of fellow Boldwood Books authors, but I also have my favourites that I return to time and time again. I don’t show star ratings on my blog, and that’s intentional. You can always see what I’ve been reading over on Goodreads, where I do tend to give star ratings.
Fantasy
Fantasy was one of my first loves, but I read surprisingly little of it now. Aside from my relisten of all the Terry Pratchett Discworld audiobooks (which I’m loving – I listened to 20 books in the series – and discovered the joy of slowing down the narrator as opposed to speeding them up), I also read the wonderful short story collection, A Stroke of the Pen. I’ve also read Mark Lawrence’s, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, and indulged in the fabulous Advent of Winter, a short story a day throughout Advent. I think this might sway my reading for 2024, as well as Spread, another short story anthology which contained a host of fabulous writers. And, Steve Jones’ Call Time, which I really enjoyed. His main character is a real ass, but it’s intentional, although I think perhaps some people don’t realise that. It’s worth persisting with, and all those of a ‘certain’ age will love the retro mentions.
Historical Fantasy
I indulged in a little bit of historical fantasy, Theodore Brun’s new book, A Savage Moon, which was excellent, and the anthology, Alternate Endings, which I found really enjoyable.
Mystery
I’ve been reading more and more contemporary mysteries, 23 in total. I have a couple of favourite series, that by Helen Golden, and also a series set in contemporary Italy by TA Williams, as well as some other series I’ve discovered, most notably that by EV Hunter. I read the first book in Kate Wells farming mystery series, and How Not to Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh. I also read Pass the Cyanide, a foodie short story collection. The Cozy Craft Mystery series by Mille Ravensworth has also been delightful – short, sharp and snappy. I’m also continuing to read Debbie Young’s series – both the Sophie Sayers series and the St Bride’s series.
What I’m really enjoying is working out how the authors ‘tell’ their stories – a good mystery is liberally interspersed with ‘tells’ which the reader only realises as the mystery resolves. There’s a lot to be learned from that for historical fiction, although I did find myself veering towards a bit of a mystery in one of the books I’ve written this year, entirely by accident:)
Historical Mystery
Historical mystery, both cozy and a little more not cozy, is one of my favourite genres. I’ve read 18 historical mysteries – The Alewives by Elizabeth R Andersen on audio which is fabulous, the Iris Woodmore series by Michelle Salter, the new Sarah Hawkswood – I do love this series, and the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mysteries by Kelly Oliver. I’ve recently discovered Helen Hollick’s 1970s mystery series, which I’m adoring for all the little details she’s added which really place it in the early 1970s. The notes show that Helen has spent much time arguing with her former classmates over some of those details, and that shows a real desire to ‘get it right,’ which I appreciate. When I was writing my historical mysteries, my Dad was so helpful in offering advice including reminding me that there would have been steam trains in the 1940s. I also really enjoyed Colin Garrow’s historical mystery, Red Snow, set in and around the Newcastle area.
Historical
I read quite a bit of historical – 17 titles. I veered from Renaissance Italy, with Kelly Evans’, Turning The World to Stone to the Roman Empire in the BC years, with both Robert M Kidd and SJA Turney. I’ve already listed a couple of my books of the year over on the Aspects of History website, which included JC Duncan’s Warrior Prince, Donovan Cook’s Odin’s Betrayal and Jane Dunn’s The Marriage Season. I also discovered Melissa Addey’s Roman series, which I’m adoring – such a fabulous idea to tell the tale of the Colesseum when it was being used. And Robert Kidd’s To Kill A Consul, set in the third century BC. I’ve only managed one SJA Turney book this year, which I’m annoyed about. I’m desperate to read his latest Damned Emperor series, but need to find the time. I discovered Gordon Doherty‘s, Legionary series, which I want to read more of, as I started with book 9. I also read the new Dan Jones, and found it very bleak, hopefully, intentionally so, and fellow Boldwood author Peter Gibbons Saxon series. As well as Cathie Dunn’s Ascent. So, I read a fair bit set in and around my era, and also some more distant time periods.
Other Genres
I’ve read a little outside these genres, completing Evie Hunter’s gangland series set in Birmingham, and again, being inspired by the way she tells her story. It was extremely compelling, especially as every character was just horrible and self-involved. I read a couple of historical romances, the odd thriller, and also other tales I might not usually pick up. That is the joy of being a blog host. I can’t say I ever regret my decisions, and it is great to read so widely.
Audio Books
Aside from the new Discworld recordings, I also listened to a couple of other audiobooks. The Alewives by Elizabeth R Andersen is fabulous. I also listened to a historical romance, which I really enjoyed and a short story collection. I am growing my audiobook library and have loads to listen to but need to find the time. I did try an audiobook while on holiday in Scotland, but it was so bloody miserable and bleak, I never listened to the end. I also listened to my own audiobooks, and would like to thank Matt Coles and Sean Barrett for their endeavours this year.
Top Five (okay, Six) Books of the Year – a jumble of genres – the books I enjoyed the most – I’m quite surprised by my selections
I find that reading for me is very much a ‘mood’ thing. I love to find new series which I can devour, but equally, some of my most cherished authors might not get read in any given year if I’m just not feeling ‘it.’ I don’t want to ruin them by trying to read against where my enjoyment is taking me.
From the Ashes by Melissa Addey – such a fabulous idea and so cleverly woven with historical events in first century Rome.
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn – a delightful Regency romance, but with a twist, which fans of Haden from The Last King series will appreciate.
How Not To Murder Your Ex by Katie Marsh – not my usual thing but very, very funny and a cleverly woven together tale/mystery. I devoured this title in a day and a half.
The Advent of Winter by various authors, organised by Dom McDermott – a really inspiring collection of fantasy short stories. I will be reading more from many of these authors. I’ve not yet reviewed this book but I highly rate it.
A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett – a delight to read some of his earliest tales, especially when I’ve spent much of the last two years listening to the two collections of audiobooks – the older recordings, and the new ones. I can see where many of his ideas came from. As someone who also writes short stories before embarking on longer tales, it was a real eye opener.
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – as usual, he blew my mind with his storytelling. It took me about a month to be able to write a coherent review for this fabulous story. I’m looking forward to book 2 in the trilogy in 2024.
Looking Forward
2024 will see the sequel to Mark Lawrence’s The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (image below – I know Mark wanted to do a ‘proper’ cover reveal, but it has snuck out, and as he seems okish with that, I have included it), as well as Elizabeth R Andersen’s The Alewives two, Sleight of Hand. I will also, at some point, run out of Discworld audiobooks. My plan then is to listen to the Deverry series by Katharine Kerr – I have read all the books but want to listen again – and also the PERN novels by Anne McCaffrey. I’m also looking forward to discovering new books through blogging, and keeping up with the historical and cosy mystery series I already read. And, finding time to read Caracalia by SJA Turney. (I’ve just looked it up and see he also has a new book out next year – Agricola:Invader – that will be going on my TBR as well.) I will set myself the same target of 52 books, and see how I get on with that. So, here’s to another great year of reading, and listening ahead.
Hello readers. I had to share this because The Alewives is such a fantastic read. Do please snap it up. (Over night it’s been riding very high in the UK top 100 overall chart which is AMAZING). I’ve read the book and listened to the audio, and if you know me by now, that is very rare! So, yes, my love for this story is very genuine.
Here’s the blurb
Colmar, 1353 CE
Gritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the Black Death, only to find that they are in desperate need of money. With limited options and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives – brewing and selling ale in the free Alsatian town of Colmar. But when an elderly neighbor is discovered dead in her house, the alewives cannot convince the sheriff and the town council that her death wasn’t an accident, it was murder. As the body count piles up, the ale flows and mystery is afoot!
Set in the tumultuous years after the most devastating pandemic the world has ever experienced, The Alewives is a playful romp through a dark time, when society was reeling from loss and a grieving population attempted to return to normal, proving that with the bonds of love, friendship, and humor, the human spirit will always continue to shine.
The Alewives is a fantastically well-written murder mystery set in the immediate aftermath of the Black Death, with delightful characters and a sinister murderer and thief, at the heart of all the problems. Set in the tannery area of Colmar, something smells bad.
The three main characters of Gritta, Appel, and Efi are all glorious creations – Grita with her useless husband and horde of children (she had 12, you see), Appel with her mysterious nighttime activities, and young Efi, who has the sense of a young kid goat at the beginning of the tale.
This story is immersive and filled with just enough tension and humour to make even a story about those who survived the Black Death an absolute delight to read. The humour is well constructed, the antics of the three women, acting a little outside the ‘law’ in a deeply patriarchal society that doesn’t allow women to brew their own ale for profit, artfully created, and even the Friar, Wikerus, is a sympathetic character, in the end. The three women are put upon. Society is against them, as is the sheriff (all the male characters are dismissive of the women, but they get on with it, doing all they can to circumnavigate the obstacles placed in their path), and the church, and just about everyone else, but they triumph.
The mystery itself is really well constructed, as are the red herrings. I didn’t know who the culprit(s) (no spoilers here) were until the big reveal.
A short, sharp, snappy, hugely entertaining, medieval mystery that portrays the realities of life at the time, with just the right amount of humour to make it thoroughly entertaining. A well-deserved 5/5 from me!
Meet the Author
Elizabeth R. Andersen’s debut novel, The Scribe, launched in July of 2021. Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech employee, there have always been two consistent loves in her life: writing and history. She finally decided to do something about this and put them both together.
Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her long-suffering husband and young son. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters.
– Join Elizabeth’s monthly newsletter and receive the first two chapters of The Scribe for free. Sign up at https://www.elizabethrandersen.com
– Find photos of hikes and daily author life at Elizabeth’s Instagram: @elizabethrandersen
– Follow Elizabeth on Twitter for nerdy medieval history facts: @E_R_A_writes
Vilified by history, Caterina Sforza learned early that her life was not her own. Married at age ten, she was a pawn in the ever-changing political environment of Renaissance Italy.
Resigned to her life as a fifteenth-century wife, Caterina adapted to the role she was expected to play: raising and educating her children, helping the poor in her new home, and turning a blind eye to her husband’s increasingly shameful behaviour. But Fate had other plans for her, and soon Caterina’s path would be plagued by murder, betrayal, and heartbreak.
“Could I write all, the world would turn to stone.”
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Turning the World to Stone follows the life of young Caterina Sforza through her marriage to the nephew of the current pope. It is a story of the city-states of Italy, told through the eyes of one girl as she becomes a young woman in a world where family names are important.
Her husband, chosen for her by her father, is not at all a dashing figure of early Renaissance Italy but rather a bit of a fool who thinks more of himself than he should, relying on his relationship with the pope until the pope’s death plunges him, and his ever-growing family into strife, which his wife, Caterina, is unprepared to accept.
This is a story of its time when women were ruled by their fathers and then their husbands, expected to do little more than breed and look pretty. Still, Caterina has other plans and, while saddled with a useless and politically inept husband, can make much of her birth family to ensure the survival of her and her children.
It is an engaging tale, sure to delight fans of stories concerning the forgotten women of history and those interested in Italian history.
Meet the author
Born in Canada of Scottish extraction, Kelly Evans graduated in History and English then moved to England where she worked in the financial sector. While in London Kelly continued her studies in history, concentrating on Medieval History, and travelled extensively through Eastern and Western Europe.
Kelly is now back in Canada with her husband Max and a rescue cat. She writes full-time, focussing on illuminating little-known women in history with fascinating stories. When not working on her novels, Kelly writes Described Video scripts for visually impaired individuals, plays oboe, and enjoys old sci-fi movies.
The History Quill Convention has been running for a few years now, and in February 2024 it’s back, as a weekend-long convention (so shorter than others), focusing on two main themes, The Craft of Historical Fiction (3rd Feb) and The Business of Historical Fiction (4th Feb)- two topics that are very relevant to today’s author. I’ll be talking on day 2 with fellow authors, about different pathways in publishing, popping on my ‘indie’ head and my ‘traditionally published’ head.
If this sounds like your sort of thing, then check out the Convention webpage using this (affiliate) link, and do it before the Early Bird Discount runs out. Tickets are for each day so if only one topic interests you, you only attend that one day,
I really enjoy The History Quill Conventions – it’s always good to learn ‘new’ things, and sometimes, just to hear that what you’re doing is ‘right.’
MJ Porter 