When Jude Gray and DI Binnie Khatri join a local walking group, their expectations for a peaceful outing to the Malvern Hills takes a grim turn. Arguments abound, and the hike ends in tragedy when one of the walkers is found dead in her car.
Initially ruled as an accident, Jude’s instincts tell her there’s more to the story.
As Jude and Binnie dig deeper, they uncover tensions and secrets within the group. From hidden affairs to longstanding rivalries, it becomes clear this death was no accident.
With each revelation, the danger grows. Can Jude and Binnie unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again?
A gripping addition to the Malvern Farm Mystery series, perfect for fans of Frances Evesham, Merryn Allingham, and Faith Martin.
Death in the Hills is the fourth book in the Malvern Farm Mysteries. I’ve read three of them.
It’s a welcome return to Jude Gray and her busy farming life and family, but no sooner have we enjoyed a countryside walk than tragedy strikes. As always, Jude is suspicious, and she’s right to be suspicious as she begins to uncover some of the secrets among the members of the walking group she’s joined.
These mysteries are really solid reads. The plot is very well defined and developed, and readers know they’re going to get a surprise along the way—one that has been well-signposted if only we follow the right clues (which I didn’t—I was very convinced the solution was different from the one we got).
Death in the Hills is a welcome addition to this thoroughly well-written series, and I’m really pleased that at least four more books will be published.
Meet the author
Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children, and is now writing a new cosy crime series set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up.
I did attempt to share my reading each month on Instagram, but it was a lot of work, and so it fell somewhat by the by as the year progressed. So, let’s get into the nitty gritty details of what I did read in 2024.
Goodreads tells me I’ve read 105 books this year. Unlike other years, I’ve not included my own books in this, which get read repeatedly while writing and editing.
Eleven of these titles were audio books. Now, these are all the Terry Pratchett Discword audios (the new ones), and in fact, I’ve listened to most of them repeatedly, but I stopped popping them on Goodreads because otherwise, everyone would see how often I relisten to them. My favourites are The Witches books which Indira Varma has narrated. Of those, my favourites are Wyrd Sisters, Masquerade and Lords and Ladies. Indira Varma makes these characters sparkle and they really come alive for the listener. Check them out if you’ve not tried them before. Admittedly, to read them in order you start with Equal Rites, which isn’t my favourite but it does introduce the reader to Granny Weatherwax.
I have two most-read categories, which probably won’t surprise anyone, cosy mysteries, coming in with twenty-three titles, and historical fiction with twenty-two titles. The cosy mysteries are often series, which I read as they’re released. Top authors in my ‘most-read’ for the year are TA Williams and his Armstrong and Oscar cosy crime series set in contemporary Italy, Helen Golden’s Right Royal Cosy Mystery series, Judy Leigh’s Morwenna Mutton mysteries and EV Hunter’s Hopgood Murder Mystery series.
Historical mysteries comes third on the list, with fifteen titles. My favourite authors here have been Sarah Hawkswood (I read six titles by her this year. It’s always good to get time to catch up on titles I’ve missed), Elizabeth R Andersen, Michelle Salter, Anita Davison, Holly Hepburn and Kelly Oliver. I adore a good historical mystery, and hope to read more by Emily Organ, who I’ve only just discovered, and who has written a few series now.
There are ten titles I’m classifying as ‘action’ although some of them weren’t and some of them might also fit in other categories. I’ve included the new Harlan Coben Myron Bolitar book in this category. My review for this book has been my most visited blog page this year, which made me chuckle. But, it’s good to know I’m not the only one demanding more titles featuring Myron and Wyn.
Eight titles were historical romance, with Jane Dunn and her Regency Romances taking the ‘most read author’ spotlight for that category. I do love a good Regency romance.
There were also six romance titles, five nonfiction titles, three sci fi titles and two fantasies (I’ve not included the Discword audios as they’re in my audio count). Hopefully, that all adds up to 105 titles.
For nonfiction, I’ve been reading about the Tudors, diving into Eating with The Tudors, and How to Dress Like a Tudor – both fascinating insights into areas I rarely consider because I’m always thinking about historical events and not as much about how people lived but the ‘lived’ experience is just as important and I’ve been endeavouring to explore this for my Saxon stories – visiting places, learning Saxon embroidery and taking part in a Roots herbal day.
The final non-fiction title was Sarah Gristwood’s Secret Voices: A Year of Women’s Voices which was fascinating, and quite addictive reading. I highly recommend it if only to discover the fab little diary entry about the curse of zips:) I reviewed the title for Aspects of History so you should be able to find my review over there.
I’ve also half-read many other titles (apologies to those authors), and I’m always dipping a toe into nonfiction titles. One of my favourites this year has been After Rome by Robin Fleming, which is fabulous and I must finish, but is sadly only available as a paperback, and my Kindle version of The Reigns of Edmund, Eadred and Eadwig is essentially ALL highlighted. It was such a timely release as I was concluding the Brunanburh Series.
I’ve been sharing some of my favourite reads of the year with Aspects of History and also Shepherd books, but do I have an absolute favourite? I’m not sure, but there were a few books I devoured in as few sittings as possible, and this is often a sign of a book that entirely draws you in. For me that was The Portrait Artist by Dani Heywood-Lonsdale due for release in February 2025 (I don’t like the cover so don’t be put off by it), and also Susie Dent’s Guilty by Definition. I also adored Arden by GD Harper, which wasn’t always an easy read, but certainly engrossed me.
I’m very much a ‘mood’ reader. Sometimes I pick up titles outside my usual genres just for a change and sometimes I don’t always enjoy books in my usual genre at first and so pop them down with the hope I’ll return to them at some point in the future. I find there’s nothing better than reading a really fun book over the weekend when I can devote more time to reading than writing. So, sometimes my choices can seem a bit wayward, but then, everyone has their own tastes, and it’s good to read outside your favourite genres from time to time.
For 2025, I’m looking forward to the new Max Adams book about Mercia, due for release in Feb 2025, and I must find time to finally finish the Uhtred books by Bernard Cornwell (I refused to read it while I was working on the Brunanburh series), and I also need to catch up with Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy, of which I have three copies of the second title but still haven’t read it. I will continue to read historical fiction, historical mysteries and cosy crime, and anything else that takes my fancy. In doing so, I will support my fellow Boldwood authors, my author buddies (which is a growing list of must-reads) and those authors whose books I’ve been reading for years and keep returning to, time and time again, including the Discworld titles. At this point, I am thinking I should write some fan fiction but I won’t risk it:)
Here’s to 2025 and all the reading I hope to enjoy. And a thank you to all my readers too and those who visit the blog to follow my reviews.
Back in the summer of 2011 (I think), I spent every evening when my children were in bed, trying to plot the possessions of the Earls of Mercia as revealed by the entries in Domesday Book (which I think is a totally normal thing to do).
It was a tedious process, which could be achieved much more quickly these days with Google Maps, but it was what I had available to me. Somewhat frustrated with the process because by that period many of the possessions of the Earls of Mercia and their family were not located in the original area of the Hwicce (roughly Gloucestershire), and aware that Deerhurst (which is in Gloucestershire) has a long history back to the Saxon period, I eventually plonked by ealdorman, Leofwine, (of the Hwicce) close to that location, and indeed, readers of the books will know that I have his family burials there. But, I’d never actually visisted Deerhurst before. Until now.
It is a beautiful location, and I’m sharing some photos from my visit, including The Angel, a surviving piece of Saxon sculpture, outside on the walls (my photos aren’t the best but it’s at a very awkward angle and quite high up the side of the building. You can find a much clearer image here https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulodykes/41119170111).
The font – not original to the church – but found in the 19th century and placed there. It is stunning.The AngelThe Angel (again)My camera lens is slightly smashed, and it’s usually fine unless it catches the sun – but sometimes the images are quite cool
Deerhurst hosts an annual lecture each year (indeed, it’s on 21st September 2024 this year), and is also open for visitors, for anyone else who fancies visiting. If you can’t make it, you can visit their website, and also order printed copies of the lectures, which I’ve done before now. https://deerhurstfriends.co.uk
And, just around the corner is Odda’s Chapel, another Saxon survivor. I will also share photos from Odda’s Chapel in a few days.
Trying to keep tabs of the chronology of my series set in Saxon England is difficult, even for me. It doesn’t help that I often work backwards, and sometimes have a tendency to skip backwards and forwards, and sometimes don’t finish things either. This might help.
Character crossovers – Ealdorman Leofwine from The Earls of Mercia series as a very young man. Lady Eadgifu from both The Tenth Century books, and The Brunanburh series in book 1.
Character crossover – Cnut, Ealdorman Leofwine, Leofric and others from The Earls of Mercia series – this book is a side-story to the main series but can be read as a standalone.
And don’t forget my non-fiction title, which is a perfect counterpart for The Tenth Century, and The Brunanburh Series, The Royal Women Who Made England
1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . . It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.
There are hazards along the way – vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus. England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . . The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.
Acclaim for Carol McGrath’s ROSE trilogy: ‘Powerful, gripping and beautifully told’ KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose ‘A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters’ NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose ‘A beautifully narrated novel’ K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose
The Lost Queen is partly the story of Richard the Lionheart’s wife before and during her marriage. However, it doesn’t take place in England, as Richard is so largely absent, and his focus is on the Third Crusade, so our heroine never visits England.
There are also two other main characters: a fictional woman seeking her husband and Blondel, a troubadour. The author uses different tenses for these characters, which I always struggle with, although I know others don’t. The narrative is also moved forward by a collection of letters written to England.
The story itself is rich with period detail, from food to clothes to journeys and all those they encounter on their journey. The historical political landscape is abundant with those who are loyal to or disloyal to King Richard.
Fans of the genre will enjoy meeting Berengaria and visiting the period so meticulously brought to life by the author.
Meet the author
Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London. The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy. Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020. The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022. Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18th July 2024. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.
Jude Gray’s farm is going from strength to strength, and even though her grumpy neighbour has concerns about the new campsite in the lower field, she is undeterred.
When a hen party arrives for a weekend away, she does her best to cater for their celebrations. But with a sheep needing urgent care – an accidental mishap or something more nefarious? – she finds herself consulting the group, which coincidentally contains four vets.
When one of the hens goes missing, it becomes clear there are more sinister forces at play, and someone is targeting her farm. With the help of close friend Detective Inspector Binnie Khatri, Jude once again dons her amateur sleuthing hat.
They uncover a web of deceit, affairs and rivalries, but will they find the perpetrator before events turn murderous?
A Body by the Henhouse is the third book in the A Malvern Farm Mystery series. I’ve read book 1, and I really enjoyed it.
We return to Malvern Farm with summer on the horizon, and our main character, Jude, keen to make her camping site work, even while busy with the arable and pastoral aspects of her farm. But her current guests are not quite the bunch she’s expecting, and with tensions running high, it’s not long until Jude is trying to find out who’s been tampering with her sheep and why the group of Hens are so uneasy with one another.
This is a really well written mystery. I love a book where I don’t guess ‘who did it’ and this certainly falls into that category. There are lots of twists and turns in the storyline. There are many potential suspects, and the story is well woven together, between Jude’s daily life, and her determination to find answers to the problems she’s encountering, with the aid of her police friend.
An enjoyable contemporary mystery, easy to read and really engaging. I look forward to more in the series, and will be reading book 2 as well:)
Meet the author
Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children, and is now writing a new cosy crime series set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up.
Midsummer, 1145. Walter, the steward of Evesham Abbey, is found dead at the bottom of a well pit. The Abbot, whose relationship with the lord Sheriff of Worcestershire is strained at best, dislikes needing to call in help. However, as the death appears to have not been an accident, he grudgingly receives Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin.
The trio know to step carefully with the contentious undercurrents at play. As the sheriff ‘s men investigate the steward’s death, they discover that truth is in short supply. With the tensions between the Abbey and the local castle guard reaching boiling point, another killing will force the investigation down a dangerous path.
It’s a joy to be back with our ‘boys’, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin.
Another murder needs solving, and we know Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin won’t rest until they find the culprit. This is a particularly twisty tale of long-standing grievances and newer ones as well. I didn’t guess the culprit, and I always appreciate a mystery where I can’t work out who ‘did it.’
I love this series. I came to it late, and I’ve now taken myself back to the first books, and they are also a true delight. If you’re looking for a new historical mystery series, I highly recommend this one set in the mid-twelfth century in England. I always appreciate the maps at the beginning of the books.
If you’ve been with Coelwulf, Rudolf, Icel, Edmund and Pybba since the beginning, then you’re probably with me in trying to work out how 4 years have gone by since the release of the first book. There are now eight (well really nine and a half, as book 9 is written but not yet released, and book 10 is well underway) books in all, as well as a short story collection, Coelwulf’s Company.
If you’ve not yet discovered The Mercian Kingdom: The Ninth Century series, then you’ve in for a treat, as long as you’re not easily offended by foul language and violence – although if you are, there are Cleaner versions available without quite so much swearing. Follow this link, as they can be a bit tricky to find on Amazon.
Don’t forget to check out the short story collection, Coelwulf’s Company.
If you follow the link, here (to Bookfunnel) you can also download a copy of The New Recruit, a short story I wrote while working on The Last Seven.
The Last King books are available in ebook, paperback and hardback, and The Last King (book 1 ) is also available in audio.
The Last Viking (the most recent release) is currently 99p/99c on Amazon UK/Canada/Australia and reduced in all territories for a limited time only.
The Last King is also available to read with Prime Reading on Amazon UK.
In the online resource, The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE), a database of every known name from the Saxon period, 33,981 male names are listed. There are only 1,460 female names for the 600-year period of Saxon England. Only 4 per cent of entries are women (there are also many anonymous ones which may mask more women). Twenty-one (possibly twenty-two) of these belong to the royal women of the tenth century. So, who were they?
Æthelgifu, Alfred and Ealhswith’s second daughter, the abbess of Shaftesbury.
Ælfthryth, the Countess of Flanders, their third daughter.
Ecgwynn (if that was her name), mother to King Athelstan, and his unnamed sister, given the name of Ecgwynn/Edith in later sources
Lady Ælfflæd the second wife of Edward the Elder. They had many children. Six of them were daughters, Æthelhild, Eadgifu, Eadflæd, Eadhild, Eadgyth and Ælfgifu.
Edward’s third wife, Lady Eadgifu, certainly had one daughter, Eadburh. (There is the possibility that she had two.)
Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, whose mother Wynflæd is named, was the first wife of Edmund. Æthelflæd of Damerham was Edmund’s second wife.
Edmund’s oldest son, Eadwig, married another Lady Ælfgifu.
Edmund’s youngest son, Edgar, would marry, or have children with no fewer than three women, Æthelflæd, Wulfthryth and Elfrida/Ælfthryth. From these three unions, one daughter was born, Edith/Eadgyth.
Another Ælfgifu was the first wife of Æthelred II. His second wife was Lady Emma of Normandy. At least four daughters were born to Ælfgifu, a daughter (also called Ælfgifu), Eadgyth, Wulfhild and Ælfthryth, while Lady Emma was the mother to Gode.
You can read all about these women in my non-fiction book, and there are also some links to blog posts I’ve written, which may be of interest.
Below you can hear me try and explain the importance of the marriages of some of these women into the West Frankish dynasty. I also forget the title of my non-fiction title, and generally make a bit of a mess of it. Enjoy:)
The Family of Charles III, the king of the West Franks (in my own words)
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 