I’m delighted to welcome Erryn Lee and her book, What Remains, to the blog with an extract.
Extract
As I held the weapon in my right hand I imagined using my left to take hold of the Praetorian’s hair to pull it back towards me, leaning over the prone body as I had in my nightmare to press the pugio to the man’s throat and slice from left to right, digging the blade in so deeply at the right that it shaved the mandible and jarred against the bone of the mastoid process, almost sticking. In my mind, I could see the bright gush of blood and feel its heat as it washed over my fingers, while the body jerked beneath my left hand and then subsided.
I dropped the pugio on the bench beside the skull and had enough time to lean across the sink before the scalding burn in my throat became gut-wrenching spasms as all that was inside me poured outwards. When the heaving subsided I hung over the sink, a single trail of thick saliva dripping from my chin, making its way towards the mess at the bottom. My throat scalded and my eyes flooded with tears. It took two hands, one on each side of the sink to push me upright. When I did, the room swam as though underwater.
Here’s the Blurb
What Remains is a haunting dual-timeline mystery that bridges centuries-and secrets-between ancient Rome and the modern world.
Forensic anthropologist Tori Benino has just landed the opportunity of a lifetime: leading a dig at a long-buried Roman village lost to the eruption of Vesuvius. But when she uncovers the remains of a Praetorian guard hidden in an ancient latrine-clearly murdered-Tori realizes she’s stumbled onto something far more sinister than a routine excavation. As she digs deeper into the past, her own carefully ordered life begins to fall apart.
Nearly two thousand years earlier, Thalia, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a brutal and politically powerful senator. Her only hope lies with a Praetorian soldier assigned to guard her-but trusting him could cost her everything.
As past and present collide, What Remains asks: When history is buried, what truths refuse to stay hidden?
Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Kate Quinn, this novel is inspired by true events and delivers a compelling blend of suspense, history, and heart.
Erryn Lee has spent most of her life between the covers of books, her love for historical fiction drew her to a career as an English and History teacher, where she enjoys sharing her passion for both language and the past with young adults (at least until she needs to give it up to write full time).
When not teaching or writing she is deeply immersed in research and studying her Masters in History. Erryn lives with her husband, a fluctuating number of horses and three bossy cavoodles on a horse farm in the picturesque central west of NSW, Australia.
I’m delighted to welcome Liza Perrat and her new book, Lake Of Widows, book 2 in The Women of the Lake trilogy, to the blog.
Here’s the blurb
Three women. One shared struggle. Can they survive?
1970. When Adrienne Chevalier’s perfect life in a chic quartier of Lyon unravels, she flees to rural Sainte-Marie-du-Lac to escape her controlling husband, Emile.
Taking refuge at the idyllic L’Auberge de Léa, Adrienne befriends Blanche Larue, who is herself trapped by her husband’s infidelity. Adrienne begins to understand the subtle strictures that keep women chained across generations.
But to what diabolical lengths will Emile go to reclaim his wife? And can Blanche find the courage to choose truth over appearances?
1914. Suzanne Rossignol bids farewell to her beloved husband as he marches off to war. Through Suzanne’s journal entries, Adrienne discovers that the damaged soldier who returns from the trenches is a stranger, leaving Suzanne to navigate a home-front battlefield.
Join Adrienne, Blanche and Suzanne on their emotional journeys amidst the tranquil French countryside as they fight to escape the shackles of tradition and abuse. Their stories, bridging half a century, are bound by a timeless struggle.
A heart-wrenching blend of historical and women’s fiction, Lake of Widows explores the complexities of marriage, family secrets and self-discovery in 20th-century France.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kelly Rimmer.
Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife.
After meeting her French husband on a bus in Bangkok in 1988 and, three children and many pets later, she has now been living in a rural village in France for thirty years.
She works part-time as a medical translator, and editor, and as a novelist.
For newsletter signups, Liza offers her award-winning short story collection for free: Friends and Other Strangers: https://books2read.com/u/mleND9
I’m delighted to welcome Heidi back to the blog with a post about her new novel, The London Forgery.
They say a historical novel takes place at least fifty years back in time. It has its setting in a certain period in history, and the author paints a picture with words of what it was like to live back then. That author must love research, must love history, must love delving into the sight, sounds, and smells of that time.
And what’s not to love about that? I have days when I probably spend more time on research than I do on the actual writing process. Because historical accuracy is important, right? It would be an anachronism to read about a cell phone in a 1960’s novel.
To make things even more complicated, I love dual-timeline novels. And I enjoy writing them. The London Forgery is such a novel. The main character, an art historian named Fabiola Bennett, has been asked to help solve an art mystery…a serious one…and there’s a problem at the National Gallery in London.
The year is 1973. Phew! Just enough years back in time to call it historical fiction. But back up a minute. I was in my early teens in 1973. I’ve lived a while, but don’t feel like I’m historical quite yet. But, oh, how fun it was to check the facts about everything from blue and white police cars to what year chocolate digestives came on the market. I went into my own memory bank when I did research for the main story, and I looked at old pictures. My sister was several years older than me and ruled the fashion of that decade. I can remember the long skirts and dresses I wore, my orange platform shoes, and listening to my favorite music. Back then, my bedroom had green walls and sported a bright-orange plastic lampshade. A small transistor radio tuned to Radio Luxembourg sat on the windowsill.
In The London Forgery, Fabiola rushes off to London. A mysterious note has been delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery, and the director needs her help. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble. As always, Fabiola will take too many risks as she tries to solve the mystery involving the British artist Thomas Gainsborough and his 1750 portrait called Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.
But what about the other story? I mentioned The London Forgery is a dual-timeline novel. Each of the books in this series will have a secondary story about a famous artist—a story that blends in with the main theme of the book.
Writing about Gainsborough and his love for his wife, the process of painting the famous masterpiece, and the young sitters Robert and Frances Andrews was pure joy. There’s much information about these two couples. I listened to lectures about them, read umpteen articles, and studied the beautiful painting.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrews now hangs upstairs in room thirty-five in the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London. Go see it if you can. It’s worth the trip.
Take care, Heidi Eljarbo
Here’s the blurb
1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete.
A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble.
Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.
1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come.
Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.
This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.
Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don’t want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Today, I’m taking part in The Storm Girl by Kathleen McGurl blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources.
Here’s the blurb:
The gripping new historical novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Girl from Bletchley Park and The Forgotten Secret.
A heartbreaking choice. A secret kept for centuries.
1784. When Esther Harris’s father hurts his back, she takes over his role helping smugglers hide contraband in the secret cellar in their pub. But when the free traders’ ships are trapped in the harbour, a battle between the smugglers and the revenue officers leads to murder and betrayal – and Esther is forced to choose between the love of her life and protecting her family…
Present day. Fresh from her divorce, Millie Galton moves into a former inn overlooking the harbour in Mudeford and plans to create her dream home. When a chance discovery behind an old fireplace reveals the house’s secret history as a haven for smugglers and the devastating story of its former residents, could the mystery of a disappearance from centuries ago finally be solved?
Sweeping historical fiction perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Kathryn Hughes and Tracy Rees.
My review
The Storm Girl is a dual timeline novel, and as a reader and writer of historical fiction, it was the historical storyline that captivated me far more than the modern-day tale of divorce and starting afresh.
Coming at this from a ‘newb’ point of view, I expected both storylines to have some connection, other than the most tenuous one, of them simply taking place in the same space although at different times. That wasn’t what happened, and I did encounter some problems, whereby the one storyline gave away events in the other – which was a little frustrating.
With all that said, I did enjoy this book. The historical storyline, while a little too wholesome for me, did capture my imagination and The Storm Girl is very much a competent and go-getting type of gal that a modern audience will thrill to discover.
Will I try a dual timeline novel again, that remains to be seen? I confess I would have been happy to have the story revolve only around the historical elements, and not worry about the modern-day setting at all, but I more than understand that a dual timeline narrative is extremely popular, and I’m sure fans of this genre will be captivated by this tale of a place in two different timelines, over two hundred years apart, and will, hopefully, consider learning more about their own local history as a result of reading the book.
A firm 4/5 from me – I did appreciate the historical notes at the back of the novel.
Kathleen McGurl lives near the coast in Christchurch, England. She writes dual timeline novels in which a historical mystery is uncovered and resolved in the present day. She is married to an Irishman and has two adult sons. She enjoys travelling, especially in her motorhome around Europe but home is Mudeford, where this novel is set.
MJ Porter 