A twenty-year-old cold case unearths dark secrets in the scorching-hot destination thriller from Emily Freud.
Twenty years ago, Mari vanished while backpacking through Thailand with her boyfriend, Luke. He was accused of murder, but has always insisted he’s innocent. Besides, her body was never found.
Now, he’s finally ready to talk. And filmmaker Cassidy Chambers wants to be the one to uncover what really happened, back then, in the dark of the jungle.
But as she delves deeper into the past, Cassidy begins to fear what lies ahead, and the secrets buried along the way.
Emily Freud is the author of My Best Friend’s Secret and What She Left Behind. She has worked on Emmy and BAFTA award winning television series including Educating Yorkshire and First Dates. Emily lives in North London, with her husband and two children. She is currently working on her next novel.
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.
* * * * * 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! – MJ Porter, author of Cragside and The Erdington Mysteries
* * * *.* ‘The Alewives’ is laid out with great compassion, insight and humour and the reader comes to care for these people! The strong and growing working relationship and friendship of the three ale wives in question and round which the action evolves is moving and profound. we are left hoping that good times – and further adventures – are just around the corner! – The Historical Fiction Company
You can see above that I’ve already read and reviewed The Alewives. (You can find my original review here) You’ll also see that I adored it! What you won’t know is that of late, I’m growing my interest in audio books, and I couldn’t resist this one.
While the storyline is amazing, told with just the right amount of humour, historical detail, intrigue, and the reality of the era, the narration adds a whole new dimension to the tale. Ella Lynch is fabulous in bringing the wonderful ‘real’ characters of Grita, Efi and Appel to life, as well as Colmar, and the collection of bumbling and ineffectual male characters.
This story will make you chuckle, make you grimace, make you growl at the unfairness of their lives, and also entirely draw you in to the mystery.
A fabulous mystery. I’ve read it, and I’ve listened to, and I recommend you do the same.
Meet the author
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 Elizabeth R. Andersen’s life: writing and history. She finally decided to put them both together and discovered her true love.
Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her young son and energetic husky. 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
My name is Ella Lynch, I am an experienced British audiobook narrator and nature-loving treasure seeker on an ever-evolving journey of connection and expansion through the art of storytelling.
I am an empathetic, married mum of 1, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a mental health advocate. My lived experiences inform my art, helping me deeply connect with the intentions behind words and relay them intuitively to the listener.
I gained a triple distinction in my (BTEC) National Diploma in Performing Arts from Truro College, and have been working as a professional audiobook narrator since 2018. In this time I have narrated over 100 audiobooks, voiced numerous healthcare explainer videos for the NHS, provided VO for children’s animated audiobooks and even dubbed a Russian commercial!
I have a particular passion and flair for Magical Realism, Literary Fiction and LGBTQIA+ Romance and Comedy, and as a voracious reader myself I absolutely thrive on bringing all words, across multiple genres, to life for listeners.
When I’m not in my booth you will likely find me walking my dog on the beach, paddleboarding an estuary, exploring the UK in my self-built campervan, playing boardgames and cooking up delicious plant-based feasts for my family. A vegan of over 20 years, I love crochet, painting, fires, swimming and hoola-hooping as well as meditating, practicing Reiki and EFT tapping and deep, heart-felt connection.
Uncovering a web of conspiracy that intertwines past and present, can Lady Beatrice and DCI Richard Fitzwilliam catch a killer and unveil the truth of her husband’s death at long last?
BREAKING NEWS Second Senior Police Officer Dies Within a Week
A senior officer from the Protection and Investigations (Royal) Services died unexpectedly yesterday. His death comes hot on the heels of Detective Inspector Ethan Preece (43) from City Police, who died of a suspected heart attack last week. Although he’s not yet been named, the dead officer was a greatly respected public figure, who had served in policing for over thirty years. A PaIRS spokesperson has confirmed that ‘neither men’s death is being treated as suspicious at this time’.
With the senior PaIRS officer dead, so is any hope of reopening the inquiry into Lady Beatrice’s husband’s accident fifteen years ago. Unless, of course, there is something that links the two men to the earl’s fatal car crash?
Can she and Fitzwilliam, along with their friends, work together to unravel the mystery and catch a killer before the truth is buried forever?
I Spy With My Little Die is the sixth book in the Right Royal Cozy Investigation Mystery Series. I have read ALL the previous novels, including the prequel, which has to be read at a certain point in the series, and the author’s free short story about how some of the characters first met. You guessed it, I love this series, and this new instalment doesn’t disappoint.
There has been a long-running mystery burbling away in the background of the previous books. In I Spy With My Little Die, we finally get our answers – I’m not moaning – I’ve adored how the author has woven this other element through the stories – but it does feel as though it’s the right time to GET SOME ANSWERS. And the answers we get are well worth the wait.
As with any series, the characters grow on the reader. Lady Bea, Perry, Simon and Fitzwilliam have all had their moments throughout the earlier books, and in this one, it’s really Fitzwilliam who gets his chance to shine – which, again, is good and about time. There is much less of the ‘stately home as a background element’ to this book. Much of the action takes place in London, and much of it in offices, and there is a bit more of a police-procedural feel to this one, but don’t let that put you off. Fitzwilliam really does have an intriguing murder to solve, and while we, the reader, might be more clued in than Fitzwilliam, leading to a few ‘don’t do that moments,’ it really does only add to the enjoyment.
The plotting is tight, and the story moves quickly towards our long-awaited conclusion. While I’m not one to put my star marking on the blog, I assure you this is a 5/5.
If you’ve not yet read any of the Right Royal Cosy mystery books but you love contemporary cosy mysteries, then I urge you to give the first book in the series a chance. I assure you, you’ll soon be hooked and surging towards this sixth book. And despite how pleased I am to finally have some answers, I’m also delighted that the series will continue. I think there’s a lot more for Lady Bea, Fitzwilliam, Perry, Simon and one little white terrier to uncover.
Check out my reviews for previous books in the 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
A challenger filled with vengeance. A kingdom’s fate at stake.
Sven the Boar is Jarl of Ribe once more. He and Charles try to settle into their new lives, but trouble and treachery are never too far away.
Tormented by recent events, Charles struggles to adapt to life amongst the heathens that mock his Christian God and the arrival of a priest from the south only makes things worse.
Meanwhile, Sven is burdened with the responsibilities of being Jarl again and protecting his grandson from those hunting him.
When forced into an alliance with King Horik’s nephew who is raising an army to challenge his uncle for the throne of Denmark, Sven makes an important decision.
As the threat of war becomes real, Sven rides to fight a battle that will change the destiny of Denmark.
But whilst he fights, will Charles remain safe or are other games in play that threaten him?
Loki’s Deceit is book 2 in the Charlemagne’s Cross Series. Check out my review for Odin’s Betrayal. Do you need to have read book 1? Probably, but I’m always happy to read books out of order, and you will certainly enjoy it if you do jump in now.
Loki’s Deceit begins almost immediately after the catastrophic events of Odin’s Betrayal. Charles and his grandfather, Sven, are still uncomfortable around one another, and neither of them is happy to find themselves in Ribe – Sven because he doesn’t relish being jarl once more, and Charles because he’s far from home and with no fellow Christians for friends.
We also have a few new points of view for Loki’s Deceit, that of Hildegard and that of Gerold. They add some of the richer background elements to the story, filling in the gaps for how the events of book 1 came about, for this is really a tale of impending war amongst the Danish jarls and their king, even while Charles and Sven battle their inner turmoils. Not only is their war, but conspiracy abounds wherever Sven and Charles turn. There are many characters that we shouldn’t trust and which Sven and Charles should also be mindful of, all bound up with their combined unease anyway. The settlement of Ribe is filled with men, women, and children who don’t like Charles at all or, indeed, his grandfather, the mighty Sven the Boar. There are many keen to take Sven’s position, and there are many who would welcome that.
For me, this felt very much as though this was more Sven’s story than Charles’. Not that we don’t get just as much Charles as Sven, but Sven is the warrior who will be forced to fight for his survival and that of his fellow warriors, while Charles is still not sure what he’s fighting for, although he is prepared to fight.
As with Odin’s Betrayal, the action continues until the last page, and I am looking forward to book 3.
Loki’s Deceit is a tale of loyalty, ambition, family, politics and religious divide, sure to appeal to fans of the era and historical fiction in general. It’s fabulous to read a series set (almost) entirely in Denmark.
Meet the author
Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series which combines fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world, and is inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology
Social media influencer Crystabel Hughes is determined her wedding to Giles Preston Smythe will be the talk of the town. No matter the cost or the upset, nothing will stop this wedding!
A cheating groom…
But for Alexi Ellis and the rest of the staff at Hopgood Hall, Crystabel’s demands are becoming increasingly extreme. And when Alexi spots the groom getting up close and personal with one of the bridesmaids, she fears trouble is only a bouquet toss away.
A killer bride caught red-handed?
And Alexi’s fears are confirmed when the groom is found dead on the night before the wedding, stabbed through the heart – the person holding the dagger. his beloved bride-to be Crystabel.
Hopgood Hall doesn’t need any more bad press, but the race is on to find the killer and close the case before Crystable live streams her dilemma.
Can Alexi, Jack and Cosmo find out why Giles was killed? And, more importantly, can they stop the killer before they strike again?
Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Frances Evesham and Emma Davies.
A Marriage to Murder For is the third book in the Hopgood Hall Murder Mysteries. You don’t need to have read the two previous books, but if you are planning on doing so, there are some spoilers for the earlier books.
This time, our intrepid duo find themselves with a murdered groom on their hands in what seems to be an open and shut case, but which of course, proves to be anything but.
The series has so far tackled celebrity chefs, and this time moves to ‘influencer’ territory with a televised wedding. But all is not paradise between the couple, and as the story evolves, there are many, many secrets to uncover.
I really enjoy this series of books. Alexis and Jack work well together, and the author offers a tight and well-constructed story – with just enough hints for the reader to ‘almost’ know what’s happening, but still with a mighty ‘big reveal’ in the closing moments.
A thoroughly enjoyable, tightly-plotted and enjoyable cosy mystery.
Evie Hunter has written a great many successful regency romances as Wendy Soliman and is now redirecting her talents to produce dark gritty thrillers for Boldwood. For the past twenty years she has lived the life of a nomad, roaming the world on interesting forms of transport, but has now settled back in the UK.
Welcome to my release day post for Protector of Mercia. I’m going to talk about the kings who preceded all the chaos of the series.
Readers of the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles will have encountered the names of kings Coenwulf and Coelwulf, although the kings in the first book, Son of Mercia, ruled after both Coenwulf and Coelwulf. But, having written about Coelwulf II in the Mercian Ninth Century books – which feature an older, and wiser Icel, I was eager to return to an equally unsettled period in Mercia’s history. And this, helped by the fact that Icel would just have been old enough at this period to be involved, very much helped set the scene. However, the aftermath of the reigns of these two men, brothers, are very much at the heart of political affairs during the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles.
So, who were Coenwulf and Coelwulf or Ceolwulf?
Coenwulf, the first and only of his name, was king of Mercia from 796 until his death in 821. He claimed descent, not from the previous king Offa (of Offa’s Dyke fame), and his son, but instead from Pybba, who is believed to have been the father of both Kings Penda and Eowa (read about them in my Gods and Kings trilogy) who ruled in the seventh century. You might have heard of Penda. Although the connection isn’t sound, he is often referenced when talking about the Staffordshire Hoard.
It does seem as though the crisis of the late 820s/830s and the slow decline of Mercian power have overshadowed all that King Coenwulf achieved, not helped by the fact that his son, who was to succeed him, died before his father (if he existed at all), so that on Coenwulf’s death, the kingship passed to his brother, Coelwulf, and he in turn was overthrown at some point in 823-826. The brother kings seem to have shared another brother as well, who may have been king of Kent, after Mercia annexed the kingdom to its own domain.
But Coenwulf was a successful ruler. He claimed the kingship after the death of Offa’s son, Ecgfrith, not long after his father’s death, (Offa is said to have been keen to eliminate all rivals to the kingship which is why, when his son died, the kingship had to pass to a more obscure branch of the ruling line), and while he suffered reverses in Kent and the kingdom of the East Angles, he does seem to have exercised control in both places, and was also aggressive against the Welsh kingdoms throughout his reign. Mercia, at this time, was NOT confined to the current English Midlands, it was a much vaster kingdom although it’s firm boundaries are difficult to establish.
Map design by Flintlock Covers
While the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is sparse about our brother kings, that didn’t stop the later Norman writers, embellishing the story of them. But first, what do we hear about these kings from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
‘Ceolwulf, king of Mercia, ravaged over the inhabitants of Kent as far as the Marsh, and [they] captured Præn, their king, and led him bound into Mercia.’ 796 [798[ (A)
´Here Coenwulf, king of Mercia, passed away, and Coelwulf succeeded to the kingdom.’ 819 [821] (A)
´Here Ceolwulf was deprived of his kingdom.’ 821 [823] (A)
´And the same year King Egbert and King Beornwulf fought at Ellendynm and Egbert took the victory; and a great slaughter was made there…. And that year the East Angles killed Beornwulf, king of the Mercians.’ 823 [825[ (A)
´Here Ludeca, king of Mercia, was killed, and his 5 ealdormen with him, and Wiglaf succeeded to the kingdom.’ 825 [827] (A)
´Here Wiglaf obtained the kingdom of Mercia again.’ 828 [830] (A)
Henry of Huntingdon, one of the Anglo-Norman author, writes of Cenwulf, our Coenwulf
‘Not long afterwards, Cenwulf, king of Mercia, beating and ravaging his way through the Kentish province, captured their king Præn, who could not match his strength and was lurking in the coverts and isolated places, and victoriously took him back in chains.’ p.259
Coenwulf’s brother, Coelwulf, succeeded him, but not for long, until he was usurped. Henry of Huntingdon in summarising affairs in Mercia adds.
‘Cenwulf reigned peacefully for twenty-six years, and died the common death.
Ceolwulf possessed the kingdom for three years, which the fierce Beornwulf then wrested from him.’ p.271
The Chronicle of John of Worcester adds similar details.
‘[821] Ceolwulf, king of the Mercians, was driven from his kingdom, and Beornwulf was raised to the kingship.’p241
There is some confusion regarding children born to either brother, and indeed, much that is known of that later Coelwulf II stems from the fact he shared a name with one of the two brothers, and as such, his connection with that ruling family can be supposed by experts in the field (not me). It appears that Coenwulf had a son and a daughter, the daughter well known as an abbess at a local nunnery, and possibly, two wives. King Coelwulf is known to have had one daughter, Ælflæd, who married Wigmund, the son of King Wiglaf. But there is a distinct lack of information regarding these individuals. We don’t know when the usurped King Coelwulf died. We don’t know when his daughter died, for certain, and obviously, other children are unknown.
The Chronicle of John of Worcester, another Anglo-Norman writer, informs us that.
‘[819] St Cenwulf, king of the Mercians, after a life devoted to good deeds, passed over to the eternal blessedness which is in heaven, and left his 7-year-old son St Kenelm heir of his realm. But when a few months had passed, by the treachery of his own sister Cwenthryth, whose cruel spirit had been roused by an awful lust for power, he was secretly done to death with cruel outrage by Æscberht, his most bloodthirsty tutor, in the shade of a thorn tree in a deserted wood. But he who was slain with heaven alone as witness, was later revealed by heaven’s witness through a column of light. Kenelm’s head was cut off, milk-white in the beauty and innocence of birth, and from it a milky dove with golden wings soared to heaven. After his happy martyrdom, Ceolwulf received the kingdom of the Mercians.’ P239-241
Henry of Huntington adds. ‘At Winchcombe you will read of the secret martyrdom of Kenelm. He was the son of Cenwulf, the Mercia king, who died in the year of grace 819, having reigned for twenty-four years. The martyrdom of his son Kenelm was revealed from heaven to Pope Silvester II at Rome.’p691
However, Coenwulf and Coelwulf I do seem to have enjoyed military successes. Coelwulf’s attacks on Wales are mentioned in the Annales Cambriae.
‘818 Cenwulf [Coenwulf] devastated the Dyfed regio.
822 The fortress of Degannwy is destroyed by the Saxons and they took the kingdom of Powys into their own control.’ p48
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is not helpful about the reigns of either brother, other than referencing their accession and either death or deposing. We don’t know the date that Coelwulf I died, although he clearly lived after being deposed.
Increasingly, scholarship is looking at Mercia during this period – if the answers can’t be found in the surviving written sources they can be found elsewhere. When King Alfred began his revival in education, many of the scholars he turned to were Mercians, highlighting Mercia’s accomplishments in all spheres – and the correlation has been made that the same happened in Mercia after the end of Northumbria’s Golden Age. There is also a wealth of Mercian sculpture dated to this period which hints at the power and influence of the kingdom, perhaps even of artistic centres at the heart of certain designs.
This doesn’t yet help us truly appreciate the power these kings could wield – so often overshadowed by what happened after their reigns, but it certainly shows we should be wary of accepting this absence in the written sources as indicative of their failure. Indeed, we should be wary of any Wessex-centred source from later in the same century (the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) that might not only suffer from Wessex-bias, but may also reveal a desire to overshadow Mercia in order to proclaim Wessex’s kings as the more powerful. This is something that is certainly at the heart of the revival in interest in the descendant of these two kings, King Coelwulf II, or Mercia’s last king, written about as a ‘foolish king’s thegn’ in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle but clearly very far from being that.
It’s intriguing to realise that our Norman writers only had access to much the same information that we do in order to offer an account of what was happening in Mercia at this time. But they do seem to have enjoyed embellishing the words of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and while arguments are often made that they may have had access to local sources not written about in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, especially for John of Worcester, who wrote at one of the most important Mercian centres, until their words can be entirely unpicked, we must be wary of using their additions as historical ‘fact,’ in much the same way that we need to be wary of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle(s).
Quotations are taken from the following translations. Darlington, R.R. & McGurk, P. ed. The Chronicle of John of Worcester Volume II The Annals from 450 to 1066(Clarendon Press, 1995). Greenway, D. ed. and trans. Historia Anglorum, The History of the English People, Henry of Huntingdon, (Clarendon Press, 1996. Morris’ translation of Nennius and the Welsh Annals and Swanton’s The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
If you’ve not yet started The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles, then check out this introduction to the series.
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Today is the day, book 5 in The Eagle of Mercia Chronicles is released into the wild.
Here’s the blurb:
A deathbed oath leaves the lives of two infants hanging in the balance.
Tamworth AD833 After successfully rescuing her husband from the Island of Sheppey, Icel hears the deathbed confession of Lady Cynehild which leaves him questioning what he knows about his past, as well as his future.
In the unenviable position of being oath sworn to protect their two atheling sons when Lord Coenwulf is punished and banished for his treason against the Mercian ruler, King Wiglaf, Icel is once more torn between his oaths and the secret he knows.
When the two children are kidnapped, Icel, good to his word, and fearing for their safety, pursues their abductors into the dangerous Northern lands, fearing to discover who is behind the audacious attempt on their lives: the queen, the king’s son, or even Lady Ælflæd, a friend to him in the past, but now wed to the king’s son and aunt to the two abandoned children.
Alone in the Northern lands, Icel finds himself facing his worse fears. Can he rescue the children from their captor, or will he fail and lose his life in the process?
Read all about Protector of Mercia over on my publisher’s Facebook account.
Protector of Mercia is on blog tour. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising and all the hosts for taking part. I will add the links each day.
Check out the reviews below. I’ll be updating as the blog tour progresses.
Former New York darling turned amateur sleuth Madeline Vaughn-Alwin is once again thrown into a colourful yet deadly web of secrets, lies and soirees to die for!
It’s the week of Fiesta in Santa Fe and Maddie is looking forward to enjoying the celebrations. But as ‘Old Man Gloom’ Zozobra goes up in flames, so too do Maddie’s hopes for a carefree life . . . Human remains are found in the dying embers of Zozobra, and then Maddie and her dashing beau Dr David Cole find a body washed up in the arroyo at the edge of town.
Soon identified as Ricardo Montoya, a wealthy businessman and head of one of the most affluent families in Santa Fe . . . the plot starts to thicken. While his beautiful wife Catalina and her complicated children seem less than heartbroken at his untimely demise, and with many disgruntled locals crawling out of the woodwork, Maddie is surrounded by suspects.
With the celebrations of Fiesta continuing around them, Maddie and her ‘Detection Posse’ get busy infiltrating the best parties and hobnobbing with old and new faces – but can they bring the murderer to justice before they strike again?
Death Comes to Santa Fe offers a detailed and descriptive view of life in Santa Fe in the 1920s, with its speakeasies, artists’ circle and of course, Fiesta. As the third book in a series, it took me a while to get into the novel and the characters, and it also took some time for our ‘body’ to appear. However, once the murder had actually occurred the flow of the novel improved, and the resolution of the mystery was well brought about, and it kept me guessing until the final ‘big reveal.’
Our main character, Maddie, is an interesting woman, if perhaps a bit too likely to wax lyrical about converting every view she sees into a painting. She divides her time between dancing, drinking, painting, and generally having a good time while slowly falling in love with Dr. David and determining to solve this new murder that’s rocked her town. The supporting cast is equally colourful and offers a lovely depth to the story.
A charming historical mystery stuffed with historical details.
Meet the author
Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen–a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject…)
She’s never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe with two rescue dogs, a wonderful husband, and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network–even though she doesn’t cook.
Betrayed, maliciously accused, and transported. Will she ever be free?
Betrayed by her family and convicted of a crime she did not commit, Georgiana is sent halfway around the world to the penal colony of Sydney, New South Wales. Aboard the transport ship, the Lady Amelia, Lieutenant Francis Brooks, the ship’s agent, becomes her protector, taking her as his “sea-wife”. Not because he has any interest in her, but because he has been tasked with the duty.
Despite their mutual distrust, the attraction between them grows. But life has not played fair with Georgiana. She is bound by family secrets and lies. Will she ever be free again–free to be herself and free to love?
The Duchess of Sydney is a really fascinating story, revolving around Georgiana, who finds herself being sent on a penal ship to Australia for a crime she didn’t commit, which she freely admits, but we don’t learn about the nature of the crime until much further through the story.
There is very much a ‘will they, won’t they’ narrative to this tale, but it is much more than a historical romance. I found the portrayal of the voyage really interesting and I confess, I had to Google the route taken from Britain to Australia because it seemed so higgledy piggedly, but was, obviously, correct. Following the ship on its many stops along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, and the peril our character finds herself in. And on arrival in Sydney, the story continues, and we finally also discover the truth of what happened in Britain.
I found the narration to be really good – and there are some fabulous accents.
This tale is sure to appeal to fans of historical mystery and historical romance. A really enjoyable and interesting story.
Meet the author
Dawn spent much of her childhood making up stories filled with romance, drama and excitement. She loved fairy tales, although if she cast herself as a character, she’d more likely have played the part of the Court Jester than the Princess. She didn’t recognise it at the time, but she was searching for the emotional depth in the stories she read. It wasn’t enough to be told the Prince loved the Princess, she wanted to know how he felt and to see him declare his love. She wanted to see the wedding. And so, she’d furnish her stories with those details.
Nowadays, she hopes to write books that will engage readers’ passions. From poignant stories set during the First World War, to the zany antics of the inhabitants of the fictitious town of Basilwade; and from historical romances, to the fantasy adventures of a group of anthropomorphic animals led by a chicken with delusions of grandeur, she explores the richness and depth of human emotion.
A book by Dawn will offer laughter or tears – or anything in between, but if she touches your soul, she’ll consider her job well done.
She has been a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for 2017 and 2020, Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2018 and Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award 2018.
Dawn has also written two plays about the First World War, which have been performed in England, Germany and France.
Abigail Langham is an Olivier Award-nominated actor, teacher, and audiobook narrator originally from the UK now living and working in the United States. Additionally, Abi is a voice, speech, accent, and dialect coach and a licensed Clinical Therapist with Masters’ degrees in Voice Studies, Teaching, and Learning in Higher Education and Clinical Mental Health Counselling. Abi has narrated numerous audiobook titles to date working for some well-known publishing houses. Abi’s body of work is carefully curated and she records material that she feels drawn to and passionate about. Abi brings a love of reading and a desire to bring stories to life with sensitivity, attention to detail, and passion. Abi particularly enjoys recording historical fiction and Regency romance novels and adores intelligent writing that encompasses expansive feelings.
Follow The Duchess of Sydney blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources
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.
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.
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.
MJ Porter 