New Release – Page 42

I’m really excited to share a fabulous blog post about his new book, Usurpers, from Robb Pritchard

I’m really excited to share a fabulous blog post about his new book, Usurpers, from Robb Pritchard. I do love a story that uses ancient sources and historical ‘fact.’

Man and myth. Apart from King Arthur, of course, there is another man in British history who is known in myth just as much as the historical record. Immortalised as Macsen Wledig in one of Wales’ most important ancient works of literature, the Mabinogion, Magnus Maximus was also a real general, and later, a usurping emperor.

Relatively speaking, the three centuries of Roman rule in Britannia was a rather secure time for the Romanised inhabitants. After Boudica’s revolt in AD 61 the four provinces that divided the island enjoyed an extended period of peace, which it has rarely experienced in the subsequent 1700 years. But towards the end of the fourth century, the security of the social fabric was beginning to unravel. And Magnus played an important role in that.

In 367 Britannia was almost completely overrun by a horde of barbarians, a seemingly coordinated mix of Picts, Scotti and Saxons. It was only saved by the efforts of a General Theodosius, who was supported by his son and nephew, the future emperors Theodosius the Younger and Magnus Maximus. And thus, Magnus’ story in Britannia begins.

Some fifteen years later, the Elder Theodosius has been murdered by factions of either the court of Gratian, or the toddler emperor, the young son of Valentinian I. Theodosius has been raised to Eastern Emperor, but Magnus is languishing in Rome unable to use his military expertise to help the Empire recover after the crushing disaster of Adrianople, al lost battle against the Goths in which a good percentage of the Roman army was wiped out.

It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise for him to end at the end of an assassin’s blade, the same way as his uncle, but instead, he found himself promoted to the enviable position of Dux Britanniarum, in charge of bolstering the islands’ defences. Perhaps he was given the position to keep him safely away from the circles of power in the imperial cities of Rome, Trier and Milan where a former general with his reputation could be a threat, but it ended up leading to the opposite outcome. Instead of being kept busy in a distant province, he used his position to build support for himself over a couple of years, before launching a successful bid for the ‘purple’. He ruled the Western Empire from Trier for five years.

His reign, and life, ended on the 28th of August 388, ignominiously, in a roadside ditch somewhere in present-day Slovenia, but his connection to Wales still endures to this day. Several royal dynasties which came to prominence in the early medieval period claimed descent from him, finding both pride and authority in the connection to Rome. He was evidently popular enough in popular culture that people spoke about him around fires in their halls as when the Red Book of Hergest was written, some thousand years after his death, they wrote the Dream of Macsen Wledig about him.

For Book 2 of the Foundation of the Dragon series, this is the story I chose to write. But it wasn’t quite as easy as simply collecting all the known facts and weaving them onto a narrative. Magnus is equally well known, perhaps more so, from the Dream of Macsen Wledig, than as a real person, but the story bears no resemblance to the real one. With the resurgence of interest in Welsh culture and heritage, I wanted to include the Mabignion dream story.

How to connect the myth of Macsen Wledig of the Mabinogion with the factual Roman Dux Britanniarum and emperor into a coherent and believable story took quite a while, and a few failed attempts, but I think it turned out quite well. I am terribly self-critical when it comes to my writing, so a couple of weeks out from publication, I am as nervous as perhaps Magnus was as he sailed over to Gaul in 383.

Usurpers covers the period of Magnus’s life from outcast to the moment he is proclaimed as Augustus by the soldiers of Britannia. Book 3 will follow the story of his years ruling from Trier and the ill-fated war against his cousin. If all goes to plan, Book 4 will be about Vortigen in the years of upheaval during Rome’s withdrawal from Britannia, which should be out in the second half of 2024.

Usurpers, Book 2 of the Foundation of the Dragon series is out on the 28th of August. Pre-orders are available now.

Preorder now

https://mybook.to/UsurpersRobbPritchard

Find Robb on his website

www.robbpritchard.co.uk

Today I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for a new historical mystery, Mayhem in the Mountains by Kelly Oliver #blogtour #BoldwoodBooks

Here’s the blurb:

1918 Italy

When a deadly blizzard traps Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane in the Dolomite Mountains, it’s all downhill from here.Their hotel is snowed-in, and no one can get in or out. Then a man is found dead in his locked hotel room – and the killer is still on the premises. But with no murder weapon and too many suspects, their investigation is treading on thin ice.

The colder it gets outside, the hotter it gets inside as Fiona squares off with both her beloved Archie and her nemesis Fredricks. With her love-life on a slippery-slope, Fiona risks everything in one bold move…

As fast and twisty as a downhill slalom, this slick new cozy from Kelly Oliver will have you melting into a puddle of laughter.

Snap in and enjoy the ride.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/mayhemmountainssocial

My Review

Mayhem in the Mountains picks up where Covert in Cairo ends; only our intrepid file clerk-turned-spy has exchanged the heat of the desert for the cold of Italy in January. And it is very cold and quite miserable and were it not for tea, toast (and marmalade), and a few trusty Sherlock Holmes stories, Fiona would be quite bored.

But never fear, when Fredricks finally arrives (late, don’t you know) a chain of events starts, beginning with an avalanche that culminates in the need to investigate a perplexing murder case, and one that becomes increasingly perplexing as we learn more and more about probable events.

Interwoven with fictional portrayals of real people, including Mussolini, Mayhem in the Mountains is a fine mystery that only Fiona seems eager to solve. At the same time, other characters are more concerned with the war effort and a few shady shenanigans between MI5 and sister organisations.

There is a real vibrancy to these tales. Fiona might on occasion seem a little too focused on only one thing -proving to her boss that she deserves to escape from Room 40 at the War Office – but that doesn’t stop her from being determined to do the right thing, even if others don’t always agree with her. Her morality means she often stands slightly to the side of her supposed allies and fellow spies.

A vibrant, entertaining read, sure to appeal to fans of historical mysteries, and with just the right amount of historical detail.

Check out my review for books 1 and 2 in the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery books Chaos at Carnegie Hall and Covert in Cairo.

Meet the Author

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyoliverauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyoliverbook

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-oliver

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kellyoliverbooks/

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

Follow the Mayhem in the Mountains blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources

I’m delighted to welcome Cindy Burkart Maynard to the blog, with an excerpt from her book, Esperanza’s Way #HistoricalFiction #Spain #womansjourney #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Cindy Burkart Maynard to the blog, with an excerpt from her book, Esperanza’s Way.

Over the following months, the young woman and the old Master worked side by side, trying every treatment they could find. They rifled through Master Cohen’s books, desperate to fend off the invader overtaking Johanna’s body. They dressed the lumps with damp cloths infused with black nightshade. Esperanza created a poultice of nettle, mustard seed and moldy bread and laid it against the invading tumors.

Among his books, Master Cohen found an ancient Egyptian remedy – an ointment that combined bull bile, fly droppings, and ochre. They prepared gallons of marjoram tea and forced her to choke it down. They spooned a powerful mixture of heartsease, marigold, and yarrow into her mouth. Nothing worked. By the time the courtyard flowers drooped in their pots, and cold winds stripped the trees of their leaves Johanna’s condition had worsened to a critical stage. She thrashed back and forth on her pallet, insensible to anything but the pain that enveloped her.

“Please, husband,” she rasped. “Please end this torment. You must have something to release me from this agony.” Looking toward Esperanza standing at her bedside she begged. “Esperanza, you once killed a woman with belladonna. If you love me at all, please, please do the same for me.”

Esperanza lifted her eyes to Master Cohen’s. He squeezed his eyes closed and nodded almost imperceptibly, giving her tacit permission to end Johanna’s suffering.

Esperanza’s blood turned to ice in her veins.

Here’s the blurb

Motivated by the memory of her mother dying in her arms, Esperanza resolves that she will one day walk the halls of the Scola Medica at Salerno and train to become a healer. Fate brought Amika, a talented herbalist, into her life and helped Esperanza take her first steps toward gaining the knowledge that would fulfill her dream. Unfortunately, a tragic accident forced Esperanza to flee Amika’s home. Her journey toward finding the path to success is littered with stumbling blocks, some more difficult to avoid than she expected.

Buy Links:

Esperanza’s Way (Book 2)

Finding the Way (Book 1)

Meet the author

Cindy Burkart Maynard is passionate about history, and the natural world, a passion that adds rich detail and context to her historical fiction novels. Her characters come to life on the page as they portray what it was like to live in another time and place. She weaves compelling, dramatic stories based on strong characters facing daunting challenges. She has co-authored two nonfiction works about the Colorado Plateau and the Desert Southwest and contributed articles to Images and Colorado Life Magazines. She has been a Volunteer Naturalist for Boulder County for more than twenty years, and served as a Docent at the Sonora Arizona Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ.

Awards:
Colorado Authors League Award Winner for Western Literature

Women Writing the West Award Finalist
WILLA Literary Award finalist for soft cover fiction.

Readers’ Favorite Five Star Author
Winner of the Marie M. Irvine award for Literary Excellence

Professional Affiliations:

Historical Novel Society of North America

Lighthouse Writers

Women’s Fiction Writers Association

Colorado Authors League

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Authors Guild

Follow Cindy Burkart Maynard

Website:

Publisher author page: Twitter: Facebook:

Instagram: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:

Follow the Esperanza’s Way blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

I’m delighted to welcome Mary Anna Evans to the blog with her new book, The Traitor Beside Her and a blog post about the book’s setting. HistoricalFiction #HistoricalMystery #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Mary Anna Evans to the blog with her new book, The Traitor Beside Her and a blog post about the book’s setting.

When You Need to Know A Whole Lot About Your Nation’s Capital, But What You Really Need to Know Is What it Was Like in 1944….

It’s no spoiler, based on my book’s cover, to say that The Traitor Beside Her is set in and around Washington, DC. Based on the woman’s clothing and the three possibly military-ish planes in the sky, and also based on the word “traitor,” it would be a safe bet for you to guess that it is set during World War II. And you’d be right!

Much of the action in The Traitor Beside Her takes place across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, in Arlington, Virginia, where a code breaking operation being done at a place called Arlington Hall paralleled the more widely known work being done across the Atlantic at Bletchley Park. However, my protagonist, Justine Byrne—she of the fetching hat and coat on the book cover—crosses the Potomac twice during the book, both times in the company of a man who is trying to woo her.

One of those dates is a traditional dinner date, during which Justine is wined and dined, all while packing heat in her white satin evening bag. But that is a story for another day. At the moment, I’m more focused on a more humble, everyday date, the kind of date you might go on during wartime when money was short and there was no sugar to go in the ice cream soda that a 1940s-era suitor might ordinarily have bought for a girl he was sweet on. For this humble date, Justine and the young man take an ordinary walk in an extraordinary setting.

Justine lives in a government-owned dormitory near where the Arlington Bridge crosses the Potomac, so she and her date take a short walk to the city, with the Lincoln Memorial as imposing sight in front of them. To write this scene, I had to first make sure that the Arlington Bridge was even there in 1944 (Spoiler Alert 1—it was), and that you could walk across it (Spoiler Alert 2—you could), and that it was lit if you needed to walk back after dark (Spoiler Alert 3—there were indeed lights).

The Lincoln Memorial was there, looking much like it does now, only a lot newer. The same could be said of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, except there was a lot less pavement around it. These days, the pool is ringed with sidewalks, but not back then. There was just a narrow rim of pavement, presumably stone, at the edge of the pool. If Justine and her date want to walk around it, and they do, then they’ll be walking in the grass.

I thought this was all interesting information that was useful as the kind of background information that makes a historical novel feel real. But then I realized that it was also information that was important to my story. One of my characters uses a wheelchair. He can and absolutely does make his way through grass when he needs to do so. However, the lack of sidewalks making the Reflecting Pool easily accessible to him led me to another question. Was there a way to the pool in 1944 that didn’t involve a flight of stairs?

Well, the historical pictures that I could find didn’t tell me, and I still don’t know, but I acknowledged in the text that there were surely accessibility difficulties for that character in 1944, and I made sure that I did not put Jerry in a spot where he could not have been in that day and time. (Actually, I should say that I did not put him in a spot where he couldn’t easily have been in that day and time. Anybody who reads the climactic scene will see that Jerry always finds a way to do what needs doing.)

But if I told you what kind of trouble Jerry needed to get into in the climactic scene, I would need to give you Spoiler Alert 4, so I think I shall quit while I’m ahead.

Mary Anna

Thank you so much for sharing such a fabulous blog post.

Here’s the blurb

“Evans’s characters are vividly drawn, elevating this story and its revelations about women’s little-celebrated contributions to the war effort.”— Washington Post

“An exciting read with historical tidbits, a hint of danger, and a touch of romance.”— Kirkus Reviews

The Traitor Beside Her is an intricately plotted WWII espionage novel weaving together mystery, action, friendship, and a hint of romance perfect for fans of The Rose Code and Code Name Helene.

Justine Byrne can’t trust the people working beside her. Arlington Hall, a former women’s college in Virginia has been taken over by the United States Army where hundreds of men and women work to decode countless pieces of communication coming from the Axis powers.

Justine works among them, handling the most sensitive secrets of World War II—but she isn’t there to decipher German codes—she’s there to find a traitor.

Justine keeps her guard up and her ears open, confiding only in her best friend, Georgette, a fluent speaker of Choctaw who is training to work as a code talker. Justine tries to befriend each suspect, believing that the key to finding the spy lies not in cryptography but in understanding how code breakers tick. When young women begin to go missing at Arlington Hall, her deadline for unraveling the web of secrets becomes urgent and one thing remains clear: a single secret in enemy hands could end thousands of lives.

“A fascinating and intelligent WWII home front story.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author for The Physicists’ Daughter

Buy Links:

Universal Link:

Amazon UK: Amazon US: Amazon CA: Amazon AU:

Barnes and Noble: Waterstones: Kobo: Bookshop:

Audio Buy Links:

Audiobook narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell

Audiobooks.com: Audible:

Meet the author

Mary Anna Evans is an award-winning author, a writing professor, and she holds degrees in physics and engineering, a background that, as it turns out, is ideal for writing her Justine Byrne series, which began with The Physicists’ Daughter and continues with her new book, The Traitor Beside Her. She describes Justine as “a little bit Rosie-the-Riveter and a little bit Bletchley Park codebreaker.”

Mary Anna’s crime fiction has earned recognition that includes two Oklahoma Book Awards, the Will Rogers Medallion Awards Gold Medal, and the Benjamin Franklin Award, and she co-edited the Edgar-nominated Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie.

Connect with Mary Anna

Website: Twitter:

Facebook: LinkedIn: Instagram:

Book Bub: Amazon Author Page: Goodreads:

Follow The Traitor Beside Her blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

Kings of War is a month old today #histfic #history #Saxons #NewRelease

It’s been a month since the release of Kings of War, the sequel to King of Kings. This is the story of the battle of Brunanburh fought in 937. (Check out my post on where exactly Brunanburh was fought). It’s been a mad and busy month, so I thought I’d take a moment to reflect and say thank you my readers for the fab ratings/reviews and for taking a chance on my version of what led up to and happened at the battle of Brunanburh.

If you’ve not yet tried it, then King of Kings is still 99p on Amazon UK/Kobo and Kings of War is just £1.39 and both are available in ebook, audio, paperback and hardback.

Since Kings of War was released, I’ve also handed over book 3 in the series, and can reveal that the title is Clash of Kings, and it is available for preorder already.

Here’s the blurb:

Can the King of the Scots and the Dublin Norse triumph against a united England?

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King Athelstan of the English has been successful in uniting the many kingdoms of Britain against one enemy, the Viking raiders.

But men who are kings don’t wish to be ruled.

Constantin, King of the Scots, rebelled against the Imperium and was forcibly brought to bend the knee to Athelstan and England at Cirencester.

His son Ildulb seeks bloody vengeance from Athelstan following the battle at Cait and the death of his son.

Olaf Gothfrithson, king of the Dublin Norse, having asserted his power following his father’s death has his sights set on reclaiming Jorvik.

Can the united might of the Scots and the violence of the Dublin Norse, descendants of the infamous Viking raiders, bring King Athelstan and his vision of the united Saxon English to her knees?

An epic story of kingsmanship that will result in the pivotal, bloody Battle of Brunanburh, where only one side can be victorious.

King of Kings

Kings of War

Thank you to the fabulous reviewers who shared their thoughts on Kings of War.

Leanne bookstagram

Sharon Beyond the Books

Seriesbooklover

David’s Book Blurg

Bookish Jottings

Ruins & Reading

Scrapping and Playing

And it’s not just the blog hosts sharing reviews either:) Thank you.

Amy McElroy

Terry Rudge

I’m reviewing Foul Play at Seal Bay by Judy Leigh, the first book in her new #cozycrime series

Here’s the blurb:

It was meant to be the start of quiet season in the sleepy Cornish village of Seal Bay, but not for sexagenarian librarian and wild swimming enthusiast Morwenna Mutton. Because when a local businessman is found on the beach with a bread knife is his back, bungling police officer DI Rick Tremayne is soon out of his depth. Morwenna knows it’s going to be down to her to crack the case.

The list of people the victim upset is long, the evidence is slight, and an arrest illusive. Morwenna has plenty to occupy her time what with ghostly goings-on at the library and skullduggery at her granddaughter’s school, but she could never resist a challenge. And even the most ruthless of murderers should quake at the sight of this amateur sleuth getting on her bike to track them down.

If you love Miss Marple and The Thursday Murder Club, then you’ll love The Morwenna Mutton mysteries.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/sealbaysocial

My Review

Foul Play at Seal Bay is an intriguing cosy crime set in Cornwall, featuring our main character, Morwenna, who finds herself and her family embroiled in the murder investigation into who killed a local businessman.

Morwenna is a wild swimmer, never happier than when the bitingly cold sea works to clear her mind, which she uses to good effect to help her solve the mystery. She’s a fun character – with a rich and varied life and not at all what we might expect from our sexagenarian sleuth.

The small-town atmosphere is well-evoked, and I really enjoyed the mystery. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Meet the author

Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Connect with Judy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyleighuk/

Twitter https://twitter.com/judyleighwriter

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/judyrleigh/

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

Today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons #histfic #blogtour

Here’s the blurb:

An epic battle where heroes fight and die to protect a Kingdom from Viking invasion…

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King Aethelred the Unready’s Kingdom of the English is threatened. Olaf Tryggvason and his fleet of Viking warships snap at the coastal edges like ravenous wolves, and Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes, has landed in East Anglia with an army of battle-hardened warriors.

Ealdorman Byrhtnoth of Essex must stand against them faced with overwhelming odds, forging his legend in the blood of his deadly enemies.

By his side, his Thegn, Beornoth, a brutal warrior and savage Saxon fighter is torn between his need to protect his loved ones, and his duty to fight for his Lord.

As the Vikings raid and slaughter, Beornoth is forced to fight for the survival of his oath sworn brothers, his Lord, and the Kingdom itself when all roads lead to the fateful Battle of Maldon.

Can Beornoth protect his people and survive one of the most famous battles of the Viking Age?

A thrilling story, packed with war, vengeance and visceral combat.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/brothersswordsocial

My Review

Brothers of the Sword is the third book in the Saxon Warrior Series, which began with Warrior and Protector, and Storm of War set during the early 990s in Saxon England. Æthelred II is the king of the English, but the Viking raiders have begun to turn their eyes once more toward England. The second viking age is underway.

Beornoth is a man with divided loyalties, to his wife, his warriors and Ealdorman Byrhtnoth. His enemy, Olaf Tryggvason, has sworn vengeance against him, while Sweyn, king of Denmark, has also laid claim to parts of East Anglia and perhaps turned some of the English to his side as well. Worse, both enemies know of one another and might well be allies. Does the riddling contest that Beornoth loses to Sweyn portend what is to come? (I was pleased to have solved the riddles along with the characters:))

What follows is a blood drenched battle, between Vikings and the English, which, alas, is only ever going to have one outcome, but which ebbs and flows, as does the tide on Northey Island.

While the ending may never be in doubt (it can’t be, as it’s based on the surviving Battle of Maldon poem), Brothers of the Sword is sure to thrill readers as it reaches its blood-drenched finale.

Meet the Author

Peter Gibbons is a financial advisor and author of the highly acclaimed Viking Blood and Blade trilogy. He comes to Boldwood with his new Saxon Warrior series, set around the 900 AD Viking invasion during the reign of King Athelred the Unready. He originates from Liverpool and now lives with his family in County Kildare.

Connect with Peter

Facebook: Peter Gibbons Author – Home | Facebook

Twitter: Peter Gibbons Author (@AuthorGibbons) / Twitter

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

Instagram: Peter Gibbons Author (@petermgibbons) • Instagram photos and videos

Follow the Brothers of the Sword blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources

It’s my turn on the #Judgement by Edie Baylis #NewRelease #blogtour #gangland

Here’s the blurb:

Samantha Reynold and Seb Stoker are looking forward to the future together. With all the recent trials and tribulations from the past seemingly over, their new life together looks brighter than ever…or does it?

Because unbeknownst to them both, danger is circling….

Marina Devlin wants to destroy her sister Samantha once and for all and will stop at nothing to have her revenge. And judgment day is looming.
In this final encounter…only one can survive.

A gripping new gangland story perfect for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Heather Atkinson and Caz Finlay.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/Judgementsocial

My Review

Judgement is book 5 in The Allegiance series. I’ve not read Book 1, but I’ve read all the subsequent books in the series. This is not at all my usual genre, but having read book 2, I was entirely hooked and have been enjoying the series ever since.

I really adore the tight plot lines and the fact that Edie so carefully lays the breadcrumbs and then leads the reader on. The premise for this one is that only one of the half-sisters can survive, and there are times when as despicable as Marina is, you’re not entirely sure you want it to be Samantha either, and that is the joy of this book and this set of characters. When I read book 2, I said that none of the characters is likeable, and they’re not – they don’t really have any redeeming qualities -supposed goodies or supposed baddies – they’re all up to no good. And yet at the same time, you can’t stop reading about them:)

A really fabulous series – even for those who wouldn’t usually read Gangland – such as me. Highly recommended. The storyline is tight and twisty, and the outcome is never assured. Great entertainment.

Check out my reviews for

Fallout

Vendetta

Payback

Connect with Edie

Edie Baylis a successful self-published author of dark gritty thrillers with violent background settings. She lives in Worcestershire, has a history of owning daft cars and several motorbikes and is licensed to run a pub. She has signed a five-book deal with Boldwood and the first book in her new ganglit series, set in Birmingham, was published in January 2022.

Connect with Edie

Facebook: Twitter:

Instagram: Newsletter Sign Up:

Bookbub profile:

I’m delighted to announce the title of my new book in the Brunanburh series, and would you like to ‘meet me’ virtually?

Dun, dun, dun……………

Clash of Kings is coming soon.

Can the Norse and the Scots exact their revenge over the mighty King Athelstan of the English?

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After the slaughter field of Brunanburh, a defeated Olaf Gothfrithson of the Dublin Norse and Constantin of the Scots narrowly escaped with their lives. In their kingdoms, failure has left them demoralised and weak.

Olaf licks his wounds in Dublin, whilst Constantin and the Welsh kingdoms who defied King Athelstan, are once more forced to bend the knee. As Athelstan’s reputation grows stronger day by day, their need to exact revenge on the overmighty and triumphant Athelstan has never been greater.

Olaf sets his sights on reclaiming the lost kingdom of Jorvik only for tragedy to strike at the heart of England and a reluctant new King, Edmund steps into the fray.

While England mourns the death of their warrior king, her enemies gather on her borders and England stands alone against the might of the Norse, Welsh and Scots.

Can the new king be victorious and banish her enemies once and for all or will England, and its king lose all that’s been gained and succumb to a new pretender?

An epic tale of kinsmanship, greed and power.

Preorder now

https://books2read.com/clashofkings

There’s no cover yet but I will share once I have it:)

If you’ve not yet grabbed King of Kings and Kings of War then they are currently just 99p/£1.39 on Amazon UK and the equivalent worldwide. You can read about the series on my Brunanburh page.

I’m also asking my readers if they’d like to meet me virtually via a Zoom chat? If you think you might, then please complete the Google form. It’s just to see what readers would be interested in, their availability and timezones:) Nothing is set in stone yet.

https://forms.gle/5pZcc2niBheCLGe79

Happy publication day to Murder in Siena by TA Williams #cozymystery #NewRelease

Here’s the blurb

A cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany… It’s murder in paradise!

A lazy weekend in the country…

Dan Armstrong and the new love of his life, Anna, are heading to a hotel deep in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside for a long weekend, looking forward to some time away from the stresses of their day jobs. With the beautiful and historic city of Siena just around the corner, it promises to be relaxing and enjoyable. What could possibly go wrong?

A mutilated body…

But when a mutilated body is discovered in the hotel grounds Dan is called in to help with the investigation. But who or what could have been responsible for such a vicious attack? Was it the work of wild animals, or is there a brutal murderer at large?

A killer who cried wolf?

Dan knows he is dealing with a clever killer – whether two- or four-legged! And as he sets out to solve the case he begins to worry about his own loyal canine companion. Could Oscar be in more danger than any of the other hotel guests or is a murderer trying to cover their tracks?

It’s another case for Dan and Oscar to solve!

A gripping murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/416oD14

My Review

Murder in Siena is the new book in the Armstrong and Oscar series, set in Italy.

This time Dan is on holiday with his new partner, his detective friend and his wife when, you got it, a murder occurs. The two just can’t help themselves, and quickly, they’re involved, assisting local police in interviewing the attendees of the international conference taking place in the hotel.

While Dan tries not to involve himself too closely in the quest to find the murderer, he and Oscar do keep finding themselves in the right place at the wrong time,

As with the first three books in the series, the reader really is left guessing, trying to determine who the culprit is, and it’s only in the closing pages that everything starts to make sense.

I really enjoy this series of cosy crime stories. Murder in Siena is a fine addition to the previous books in the series.

Check out my review for book 1, Murder in Tuscany, book 2, Murder in Chianti and book 3, Murder in Florence (as you can see, I really like this series).

Meet the author

T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series will introduce us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, will be published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

Connect with T A Williams

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks