Rachel’s Random Resources – Page 6

I’m reviewing Murder At Merivale Manor by Ella Strike #blogtour #historicalmystery #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

A cozy dinner party, a playful game… and a very real murder.

London, 1923

Kitty Goring seems to have it all—lavish nights at London’s finest clubs, elegant soirées, and a parade of charming bachelors vying for her hand. But despite the glamour, Kitty longs for something a little more… thrilling.

In a bid for excitement (and to avoid her mother’s constant reminders that she really ought to be searching for a husband), Kitty dreams up the perfect diversion. A playful mock robbery at her family’s grand estate, Merivale Manor. It’s all meant to be fun—until one of the guests turns up very much dead.

With a real killer on the loose in quaint little Hampstead Village, Kitty’s keen instincts kick in. Forget matchmaking—Kitty’s determined to unmask the culprit before anyone else falls victim. With a sharp wit and a flair for mischief, she dives headfirst into the investigation. But getting to the truth won’t be easy, especially with the brooding Detective Inspector Henry Burton underestimating her at every turn.

Murder, mystery, and a dash of romance—Kitty’s got her hands full in this charming whodunit!

Murder at Merivale Manor is the delightful first book in the Kitty Goring Investigates historical cozy mystery series.

Author’s note

London in the 1920s is a glamorous and exciting city, but danger and death are never too far behind. Join Kitty Goring and her group of Bright Young Things in the adventure of a lifetime, as they race to catch a killer who lurks amongst them.
Each book in this series is a cozy period mystery that features our plucky heroine, aided in her investigations by a gang of eccentric and lovable characters.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/ZRrM

My Review

MMurder at Merivale Manor is the first book in the Kitty Goring Investigations series of historical mysteries set in the 1920s.

This first book introduces us to Kitty, a headstrong woman with a varied collection of friends and associates and a somewhat overbearing mother. The family is somewhat down on its luck but still working to keep up appearances. One of those is the need for Kitty’s brother to marry well to recover the family fortunes.

But, as ever, all is not as it appears when a woman keen on Kitty’s brother is unexpectedly murdered at the local fete. Feeling guilty about a silly game Kitty initiated that seems to have led to Jane’s death, Kitty is determined to investigate and find the culprit.

This is a fun, quick read, and readers of the genre will enjoy discovering who the true culprit was.

Meet the author

Ella Strike, cat lover and author of historical cozy mysteries, lives in London with her husband and twins. When she’s not penning murder mysteries or drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or listening to true crime podcasts as she cooks.

Her stories are a mix of history, a dash of intrigue, and a whole lot of cozy, old-world charm.

Image shows the list of blog hosts for the Murder at Merivale Manor blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources

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I’m reviewing Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook #blogtour #newrelease #historicalfiction

Here’s the blurb

Banished by those he loved; how far would he go for redemption?

449AD Old Saxony

Octa, the son of a mighty Saxon warlord, stands in the shield wall for the first time, eager to make a name for himself. But instead of the promised battle glory, fear overpowers him and he flees the battle, causing the death of his cousin and bringing shame to his family.

Disowned by his father, and hunted by his own people, Octa is spurred on by his mother’s vision for his future, a promise of greatness to come.

A chance encounter with a wiry traveller offers Octa a chance of redemption with a quest to retrieve a sacred weapon. To do this, Octa must travel to Britannia, a nation abandoned by the Roman Empire and unable to defend itself from its many enemies who smell weakness and riches.

Joining the famous warlords, Hengist and Horsa, Octa travels west to forge his future and redeem his past. He must succeed where others have failed. He must find the lost spear of Woden.

An epic adventure of turmoil, coming of age and survival set against a time when Britannia was on its knees and fighting for its very existence.
Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.

image shows the cover for Woden's Spear by Donovan Cook. This shows a warrior holding a spear aloft on a wintry background, with a fire in the foreground, and a horse behind him. A raven is flying above his head.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/WodensSpear

My Review

Woden’s Spear is the first part of a new series by Donovan Cook. Starting in Saxony, our young would-be warrior embarks on a journey to rehabilitate his reputation alongside some well-known figures from the dawn of Saxon England.

Octa, our main character, is a young man far from being the warrior he wishes he were (and perhaps thinks he is). Indeed, he’s weak and ineffectual and very much enjoys life in the shadow of his more warrior-like father until he’s abruptly confronted with the truth about himself. Not that he immediately rises up to counter those truths; instead, he slinks away from all he’s ever known, feeling very sorry for himself, haunted by his failures.

But this changes when he meets first an old man who speaks to him of a quest, and then Hengist and Horsa, those very famous names associated with the beginning of Saxon England. He joins them in journeying to Brittania, encountering Vortigern along the way. But Octa has a very different motive behind his actions to that of Hengist and Horsa.

Octa is very much swept up in events outside his control as he pursues his quest with the aid of a native Briton and some Jutes who don’t much like him and, indeed, have a very different idea of his destiny.

This is a vivid portrayal of Britannia in the middle of the fifth century and is sure to delight readers of the genre as we follow Octa on his quest to rehabilitate himself with the aid of a god or two along the way.

Check out my reviews for Odin’s Betrayal, Loki’s Deceit, Thor’s Revenge and Valhalla’s Fury.

Meet the author

Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne’s Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England.

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Image shows the blog hosts taking part in the Woden's Spear blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources for Boldwood Books.

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I’m delighted to share my review for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended

Image shows the cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter on a pale purple background

Here’s the blurb

When murder hits close to home, Iris must fight to clear her name…

Spring, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret – and she’s desperate to flee before he does.

But when he’s found murdered after a violent argument with her, there’s no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation.

With the police closing in, Iris has to find the real killer if she’s to keep her secret. Can she prove her innocence without revealing the identity of the one man who can provide her with an alibi?

A gripping new mystery for fans of Verity Bright, Clara McKenna, and Helena Dixon.

Image shows for cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter. It is a stylised 1920s image, showing a young woman wearing orange in a hat in front of a country style house, with a pond behind her, and a man in the background.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/MillPondsHouse

My Review

Murder at Mill Ponds House is the sixth title in the Iris Woodmore mystery series. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed every title, and Murder at Mill Ponds House is just as fabulous.

To wax a little lyrical, I want to say how much I love these books. I thoroughly appreciate the tight plotting and the continuity between all the books in the series. They’re a joy to read because the author never drops the ball and misses out someone important, or forgets an event from an earlier book. They’re also delightful to read, well-paced, and have interesting and intriguing difficulties for our main character to resolve.

I read Murder at Mill Ponds House in just two sittings, and that’s only because I couldn’t stay up any longer to finish the story.

A fabulous mystery, well put together, well plotted, well resolved and thoroughly enjoyable. They are a true delight, and I always know I’m in safe hands with a Michelle Salter mystery.

Huzzah.

Check out my reviews for Death at Crookham Hall, Murder at Waldenmere Lake, The Body at Carnival Bridge, A Killing At Smugglers Cove and A Corpse in Christmas Close.

Image shows the cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter with a magnifying glass over the book cover with a handwritten note in the background

Meet the author

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my author page. You’ll see all my books are classic murder mysteries – because golden age whodunnits are the stories I enjoy reading most.

I love to create memorable characters and devise intriguing plots with a focus on mystery rather than violence.

I live in Hampshire, England, and it’s the setting for many of my books. My standalone novel, Murder at Merewood Hospital, features Sister Helen Hopgood, the last nurse left in a military hospital in Hampshire at the end of the First World War.

I also have family connections to Devon, and the fourth Iris Woodmore Mystery, A Killing at Smugglers Cove, is set on the south coast of Devon in 1923. Iris is back in her native Hampshire for A Corpse in Christmas Close, set in Winchester over Christmas 1923, and Murder at Mill Ponds House, which begins on 1st May 1924.

You can read all of my books as standalone novels, even the Iris Woodmore Mysteries, as each is a separate story, although the characters develop as the series progresses.

I hope you enjoy reading or listening to my books.

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Image shows the details of the blog hosts taking part in the blog tour for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter,organised by Rachel's Random Resources on behalf of Boldwood Books.

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I’m sharing my review for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw #blogtour #thriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Killing for a living is easy, living for a reason is much harder

Meet Ruslan Akulov.

In the shadowy world of assassins for hire, he is known as ‘Wolf Six’.

A Ukrainian raised in Moscow, conscripted into Russia’s most covert Special Forces unit ‘The Werewolves’, Akulov is full of loathing for the country that built and then broke him. The only rules he follows now are his own.

Unable to shake the guilt of his past, Akulov has made it his business to seek out those who prey upon the innocent. The name Wolf Six is legendary – whispered by those who know it with fear. But when Akulov accidentally thwarts the armed robbery of a Chicago Bank, he pits himself against both the Russian Bratva and the CIA, setting into motion a spiralling sequence of events which will bring his past back to haunt him, and potentially turn his future to ashes…

His mission of retribution takes him from Chicago to Kyiv, to Havana and back into the US, where Akulov must stop at nothing if he is to remain alive. No simple mission, even for the world’s deadliest assassin.

Perfect for fans of Tom Wood, Vince Flynn and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to put down.

image shows the cover image for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw. This cover is in2 halves. The top shows a city scape image and the bottom shows a man walking away from the cameradown a street. The words Wolf Six are in capitals and are enlarged over the two images.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/wolfsix

My Review

Wolf Six by Alex Shaw is certainly a thrilling thriller. It takes the reader from Chicago to Ukraine, Cuba, Russia, and many other places.

Our main character, Ruslan, is usually a cold-blooded assassin, but all that’s about to change as we follow him through this tale of double-crossing and vengeance. There is a split timeline narrative, with some elements explaining how Ruslan came to be as he is while also following him in the present, in which he’s managed to unintentionally get himself caught up in all sorts of difficulties with all sorts of baddies and intelligence agencies.

I very much enjoyed the whistlestop tour of the world through Ruslan’s eyes, and you certainly have to be on your toes to keep up with all the action.

I do have a soft spot for thrillers of this genre, and I will certainly be reading more of Ruslan’s adventures.

Image shows the cover for Wolf Sox by Alex Shaw on a city scape backdrop.

Meet the author

Alex Shaw is the author of bestselling action thrillers published by HarperCollins including the Aidan Snow and Jack Tate series, for which he was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. He will start a brand new action-packed series for Boldwood, the first of which, Wolf Six, will be published in February 2025.

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Image shows the bloggers taking place in the Wolf Six by Alex Shaw blog tour arranged by Rachel's Random Resources for Boldwood Books.

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I’m sharing my review for How to Slay on Holiday by Sarah Bonner, a funny, twisted thriller #bookreview #thriller #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

You’d kill for a holiday like this one…

Chloe and her husband Scott are holidaying with their families on the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos. But Chloe has a secret… She has hired a hitman to kill Scott when they return home. This week, her plan is to pretend to be such a happy wife that no suspicion can possibly fall on her after the murder.

But she’s reckoning without Scott’s meddlesome sister, Tori, plus the rivalries and demands of both families. Can she deal with them all while keeping her murderous intentions hidden?

Then Chloe wakes up in their villa covered in blood, next to a dead body, with no memory of the previous night. Panic ensues as she tries to piece together what happened – and just who else on this holiday might be a secret killer…

Fans of Katy Brent, Bella Mackie and Julie Mae Cohen won’t be able to resist this twisty, darkly funny crime thriller.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/howtoslayonholiday

My Review

How to Slay on Holiday is a fun, quick, and easy read. The use of three points of view helps the story move along at pace and also allows the reader to learn things not all of the characters know.

There are secrets aplenty between the two families on holiday and also between all of the characters. At times, I wondered how on earth it could ever be resolved, but resolved it was.

A really fun read, sharp and snappy.

Check out my review for How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner.

Meet the author

Sarah Bonner is the author of several bestselling psychological thrillers.

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I’m excited to spotlight Escape to the French Riviera by Helga Jensen #newrelease #romance

Here’s the blurb

Can Lucy find her second-chance romance in the glamour of the French Riviera?

When aspiring author Lucy attends a rich friend’s 50th birthday party in glamorous Monaco, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever.

Heartsore after a broken marriage, she is not looking for love so when she meets Elias, and he offers to take her sailing on his employer’s boat, she agrees only as research for the book she desperately wants to write. They bond over their adult children – who seem to want to clip their wings and force them into living like pensioners – and the chemistry is undeniable.

But is he all he seems? And is she ready to trust again?

An uplifting, later-in-life romance perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Jo Thomas and Julie Caplin.

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/Dr52

Meet the author

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s best selling novel, Fly me to Paris, was a finalist for the 2024 Popular Romantic Fiction Award.

Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently finishing a PhD.

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I’m sharing my review for Whisper of War and Storms by CL Mecca #romantasy #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

A spellbinding, epic romantasy adventure of tangled secrets and dark magic for fans of Sarah J Maas, Callie Hart, Rebecca Yarros and Jennifer L Armentrout.

A lost princess. A forbidden love. A destiny she never knew awaited her.

When a forgotten ring reveals Mevlida Brennan’s true heritage as the long-lost princess of Aetheria, a kingdom of immortals and magic, her world is turned upside down. But there’s just one problem—Mev didn’t know she was missing.

Thrust into a realm on the brink of war, Mev is caught between her newfound legacy and a dangerous political game. A powerful king holds the key to restoring the ancient portal that connects their realms, but his son, Kael, stands in her way. Brooding, relentless, and dangerously irresistible, Kael is sworn to protect his people—even if it means kidnapping Mev to keep her from uncovering the truth.

As dark forces rise and her dormant powers awaken, trust is a luxury neither can afford, yet their hearts may leave them no choice. Mev must embrace her destiny or risk losing everything. Because the storm isn’t coming—it’s already here.

In a battle of elemental magic, loyalty, and love, one whisper could spark a war.

Cover image for Whisper of War and Storms by CL Mecca

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/WhisperofWarandStorms

My Review

Whisper of War and Storms is a quick read – I devoured it in a few hours.

Our two main characters are engaging and quite fun, and the story and developing romance feel quite like a Regency Romance, with the whole, ‘will they, won’t they’ speak openly about their feelings.

The storyline and backstory have a lovely Narnia feel, and I very much enjoyed the world-building and how the author has set up the story for subsequent books in what I assume will be a long-running series.

A fun and engaging read.

Meet the author

Cecelia Mecca is the author of historical, paranormal romance including the bestselling ‘Bloodwite’ series. She will write romantasy novels for Boldwood as C. L. Mecca, the first of which, Whisper of War and Storms, will be published in February 2025, as well as American small town romance series ‘The Bachelor Pact’ under the name Bella Michaels. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her family.

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I’m reviewing Crusade by Richard Cullen, the 2nd part in a new historical fiction action and adventure series set in the thirteenth century #blogtour #histfic

Here’s the blurb

Continuing the epic historical adventure series from Richard Cullen, featuring The Black Lion…

Stripped of his birthright, Estienne Wace seeks to prove his worth in the deserts of Outremer!

Egypt 1219AD.

Abandoning the safety of England for the perilous shores of the Levant, Estienne Wace is thrust into the turmoil of the Fifth Crusade. Burning with righteous purpose, he is determined to reclaim the Holy Land in the name of Christ.

War rages along the banks of the Nile as a crusading army besieges the Saracen city of Damietta, certain that the price they pay in blood will return the glory and treasures they crave. But as the Black Lion roars, and the siege grinds on, Estienne’s unwavering faith is tested more and more by the grim reality of this brutal conflict.

As the siege turns on a knife edge, Estienne finds himself thrust upon a journey across the merciless desert. Stripped of everything, and forced into a dangerous alliance, he will grapple with the true meaning of faith, honour, and the price of salvation, in a land where nothing is as he once believed.

Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden.

Image shows the cover image for Crusade by historical fiction author Richard Cullen. The image shows a knight's body, holding a sword and mace and with a yellow and green emblem on his surcoat, with a black lion on it.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/CrusadeRichardCullen

My Review

Crusade by Richard Cullen continues the story of Estienne Wace as he decides to join the Fifth Crusade. You can taste the heat and the sand in this one as he steps foot in the Holy Land.

It’s a very busy story. Estienne, quickly realising the rhetoric he’s been told regarding the Holy Land isn’t quite as it seems, begins to question his place there, even as he interacts with people from the local area who call it home. His understanding would perhaps seem a little too ‘modern’ if not for our new POV, that of one of the enemy. Kashta adds a new dynamic to the tale, even though his chapters are only occasionally inserted into Estienne’s tale. But he also comes to question whether the war is worth the cost.

It takes Estienne a long time to see beyond the heat and the sand and appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the people who live there. He certainly has a rough time, as Kashta, his new enemy, dogs his every step as do a few others who would rather see Estienne dead.

The story flows well, and I enjoyed the depiction of the landscape and people. I also appreciated the frank portrayal of the Fifth Crusade and the bickering and infighting between those supposedly in charge of it all. Having recently watched the first series of Rogue Heroes, I could see Egypt and its vast sand and dunes.

I’m curious to see what will happen to Estienne next. Perhaps he needs an easier time of it in the third book:)

Check out my review for Rebellion, the first book in the series.

Meet the author

Richard Cullen is a writer of historical adventure and epic fantasy. Previously published by Head of Zeus and Orbit Books, his new historical adventure series for Boldwood, Chronicles of the Black Lion, set in thirteenth-century England, will launch in October 2024.

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Today I’m reviewing the new James Ryker novel, The Enemy Within by Rob Sinclair #blogtour #thriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

The BRAND NEW, action-packed Ryker thriller from million-copy bestselling author Rob Sinclair.

His past is coming back with a vengeance…

Ex-intelligence agent James Ryker has done many things in the past he’d prefer to forget. The last time he saw Gregor Minko – son to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous and politically influential arms dealers – Gregor was a scared 6-year-old boy in need of protection. But Ryker had to walk away. The boy wasn’t the mission.

Twenty years on Ryker is approached by two strangers in Antibes, France, asking for his help in finding Gregor – now going by the name of Gregor Rebrov. With a back catalogue of ‘crimes against the Russian state’, Gregor has escaped from a gulag in Siberia and is now in the wind.

Fuelled by old demons and painful memories of his own brutal actions in the past, Ryker finds himself once again in the thick of a complicated race against time and who knows how many of the world’s secret services, to find Gregor and get some answers.

As answers turn into more questions, they lead Ryker closer to home… and he can’t shake the feeling that he may be to blame.

A brand new high-stakes thriller. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Robert Ludlum.

Cover image for The Enemy Within by Rob Sinclair showing a man running towards the House of Parliament in London, UK, with a helicopter in the background.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/theenemywithin

My Review

The Enemy Within is the latest novel in the James Ryker series. I’ve not read all the books, but I’ve read enough to know they guarantee an action-packed adventure in which our main character will encounter a few baddies.

The Enemy Within quickly grabbed my attention, especially with the addition of Gregor’s point of view from the gulag, while James is in a somewhat better position in the south of France. As we’re taken back to Ryker’s past, events in the present start to unfold, and we’re also treated to a trip to the Ukraine and Russian border.

I don’t know if this book is more violent than earlier ones in the series or because one of the storylines is Ryker as a younger man; it’s just that we discover how truly lethal he used to be, but the body count is certainly high.

The ending was delightfully twisty, and readers will learn much about Ryker from reading the latest instalment.

It is a violent, bloody and twisty tale, with elements of the current difficulties of the Ukraine war threaded through, which also makes it shockingly current.

Check out my review for The Green Viper.

Meet the author

Rob Sinclair is the million copy bestseller of over twenty thrillers, including the James Ryker series. Most recently published by Bloodhound, Boldwood will publish his latest action thriller, Rogue Hero, in June 2024 and will be republishing all the James Ryker series over the coming months.

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I’m delighted to be reviewing The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick #blogtour #dualtimeline #historicalfiction

Here’s the blurb

Bestselling author Nicola Cornick’s brand-new heart-breaking historical tale of unforgettable courage, hidden secrets and lasting love, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Philippa Gregory and Christina Courtenay.

1715: With the country on the brink of rebellion, Dorothy Forster’s life at Bamburgh Hall is ruled by the men in her life – her feckless brothers stirring up trouble at court, her elderly father with his dangerous secrets and the man she loves who the world seems determined to keep her apart from. As tensions grow, Dorothy finds herself caught between the warring factions, danger everywhere. Then Dorothy discovers her family are the keepers of the legendary Rose, the talisman both sides believe will guarantee them victory in this deadly conflict. Now Dorothy will have to risk everything to keep the Rose safe; the fate of the country and the men she loves rests in her hands.

Present Day: Hannah Armstrong has returned home to Bamburgh Hall for work but when she discovers that her stepmother Diana has been keeping worrying secrets, her focus shifts to getting to the truth. Their family home once belonged to heroic Dorothy Forster, whose portrait graces the walls and whose spirit lingers in her home, but soon Hannah learns that there was much more to this formidable woman. Because Dorothy left behind a mysterious legacy and it’s not long before Hannah realises it’s one people are willing to kill for. Now Hannah is in a race against time to unravel the secrets of the past before danger arrives at their door.

Two women divided by time but bound by a centuries’ old mystery. Bestseller Nicola Cornick is back with a brand-new thrilling adventure, a heartbreaking love story and the unforgettable story of how the courage of one woman can save a family and even save a nation.

Book cover for The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/SecretsOfTheRose

Book cover image for The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick

My Review

The Secrets of the Rose is a dual-timeline novel set in the present day and 1715, and much more importantly, it’s located about 10 minutes from where I live. Just like when someone writes a historical novel featuring one of ‘my’ historical characters, I felt a little uneasy about it all. Thankfully, I needn’t have worried, and that allowed me to enjoy the story and local scenery very much.

Dorothy Forster is a local legend to the area and someone I’ve heard quite a bit about. It was lovely to put some ‘flesh’ on those stories and see her come to life as a real person. While the story has some slightly mystical qualities, it was still very enjoyable.

As always, I prefer the historical timelines to the modern-day ones, but Hannah was an engaging character with a lot going on in her life. I appreciated the parallels between the two main characters. The conclusions for both of our characters are thrilling and swept me along with them.

A delightful, easy read, I devoured in a couple of sittings.

(If you want to see some photos of Bamburgh then check out my blog post here).

And find the review for The Other Gwyn Girl here too.

Meet the author

Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural, and focus on women from the footnotes of history. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also gives writing and history talks, works as a consultant for TV and radio, and is a trustee of the Wantage Literary Festival and the Friends of Lydiard Park.