Release Date: 16/11/17
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
SYNOPSIS:
The war between Amika and Belleger has raged for generations. Its roots lie in the distant past, beyond memory. Sorcerers from both sides rain destruction down on the battlefield, wielding the six deadly Decimates of fire, earth, wind, water, lightning, and pestilence.
Prince Bifalt hopes that Belleger's new weapons technology, the rifle, will provide a decisive advantage. But when Belleger's sorcerers are mysteriously deprived of their magical abilities, leaving them unable to defend against Amika, he must set aside his own deep hatred of sorcery and work to solve this new enigma.
Grasping at any chance to save his beloved homeland, Prince Bifalt of Belleger sets out on a hazardous journey across the unmapped wastelands to the east. With Elgart, his last comrade, Bifalt pursues the long-hidden trail of the one object that might be able to turn the tide of the endless war - a book entitled The Seventh Decimate.
The events that unfold force Prince Bifalt to weigh his stubbornness, his patriotism, and his hatred for sorcerers against his sense of loyalty and of what he knows to be right. And as he learns, Amika and Belleger may simply be pawns within an even larger struggle...
REVIEW:
Historical Crime is a genre that I've been getting into quite a bit and whilst most of the time I spend it deep in the past, this time its more recent history, into the depths of living memories most horrific place, 1943's Auschvitz.
The book is well written, the characters rounded and to be honest whilst I deplore the time and politics, the book is well done. The prose is sharp, the dialogue acceptable and whilst I expect more derogatory comments within, it does feel appropriate to the time. Back this up with high octane danger around every corner and all round it was a heart in the mouth read as you're never sure which way things are going to go.
Release Date: 13/06/17
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
1358. Oswald de Lacy, Lord Somershill, is in Venice, awaiting a pilgrim galley to the Holy Land. While the city is under siege from the Hungarians, Oswald lodges with an English merchant, and soon comes under the dangerous spell of the decadent and dazzling island state that sits on the hinge of Europe, where East meets West.
Oswald is trying to flee the chilling shadow of something in his past, but when he finds a dead man on the night of the carnival, he is dragged into a murder investigation that takes him deep into the intrigues of this mysterious, paranoid city.
Coming up against the feared Signori di Notte, the secret police, Oswald learns that he is not the only one with something to hide. Everybody is watching somebody else, and nobody in Venice is what he or she seems. The masks are not just for the carnival.
REVIEW:
The new Oswald de Lacy novel takes the reader to the city of masks, Venice, as out hero takes a break from England on a journey to the Holy Land, only to find himself embroiled in a murder in the fabulous floating city.
As with the other books, the story unwinds at a pace that is a pure joy to behold, its organic and doesn't feel rushed in any way. Our hero is well scripted and whilst plagued with his "mother" for the journey, we get to see a more mature character who has undergone a series of trials due to his history.
As with the other books in the series the prose is solid, the dialogue more than satisfactory but for me its the characters and the way that they change as well as develop that really has me glued. All round another solid release and one that was definteily a lot of fun to read through.
Release Date: 05/04/17
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
Flavia Albia's day-old marriage is in trouble - her new husband may be permanently disabled and they have no funds. So when Palace officials ask her to help expose a plotter in their midst she is obliged to accept their commission.
The plot could not be bigger. Ever since he died in AD 68, apparently by his own hand, Rome has been haunted by reports that the Emperor Nero is in fact very much alive and about to return to claim his throne.
Two Nero pretenders have emerged in the East and met grisly fates. But now, as the Emperor Domitian, whose tyrannical, paranoid reign grows ever more unpopular, fights a war in faraway Dacia, there emerges a far more sinister contender. What's more the rumour is that this false Nero is already in Rome. Plunged into the conspiracy, Flavia must infiltrate the house of the Parthians who have smuggled in this new impostor, negotiate with spies, dodge the assassins sent by the Palace traitor, and somehow cope with her stricken husband.
Can she succeed before the impostor is revealed? Or will Rome once more be plunged into civil war?
REVIEW:
In Historical Crime Fiction one author that always gives me a cracking tale is Lindsey and I'm pleased to say that she hasn't let me down again as Flavia works her analytical mind to help those in power solve a problem whose answer has eluded them.
As usual the pace it solid, our protagonist a forward thinker alongside a delight to spend time with and a continual joy as she grows into her forced role as things look bleak for her family. Its a pure delight to spend time with and when you throw in a good few twists, some cracking red herrings and a heroine you can't wait to spend time with all round makes it a tale that you'll return to during subsquent rereads to spot clues you may have missed once you know the answer.
Release Date: 23/03/17
Publisher: Harper Collins
SYNOPSIS:
London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.
1895: London’s scared. A killer haunts the city’s streets. The poor are hungry; crime bosses are taking control; the police force stretched to breaking point.
While the rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer.
In a dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood – self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard and private investigator.
When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood’s best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London…
In the bestselling tradition of Anthony Horowitz and Andrew Taylor, this gloriously dark crime debut will haunt readers long after the final page has been turned.
REVIEW:
I love books that try to do something a little different and this debut from Mick gave me one hell of a treat as I loved the way he brought the old streets of London to life for me with not only cracking description but carefully woven humour.
The principle characters work well together each one working off the other as thier clues to thier case are discovered proving to be something deeper than originally thought. Its carefully designed, the prose is sharp and when you add the Dickensian and Conan Doyle style of wordplay utilised all round gives it a rather authentic flavour.
Finally throw into the mix a rather delightful style of storytelling alongside a set up that could easily lead to a series and all round I was a more than happy reader. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more books by this author in future.
Release Date: 25/08/16
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
Late spring, 1728 and Thomas Hawkins has left London for the wild beauty of Yorkshire - forced on a mission he can't refuse. John Aislabie, one of the wealthiest men in England, has been threatened with murder. Blackmailed into investigating, Tom must hunt down those responsible, or lose the woman he loves forever.
Since Aislabie is widely regarded as the architect of the greatest financial swindle ever seen, there is no shortage of suspects.
Far from the ragged comforts of home, Tom and his ward Sam Fleet enter a world of elegant surfaces and hidden danger. The great estate is haunted by family secrets and simmering unease. Someone is determined to punish John Aislabie - and anyone who stands in the way. As the violence escalates and shocking truths are revealed, Tom is dragged, inexorably, towards the darkest night of his life.
Inspired by real characters, events and settings, A Death at Fountains Abbey is a gripping standalone historical thriller. It also continues the story that began with the award-winning The Devil in the Marshalsea and The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins.
REVIEW:
Plot lines in titles can often become not only convoluted but overly complex and it takes an author with great skill to keep not only the events within on track but to also make sure that the tale doesn’t become mired in Gordian knots that no one can untangle regardless of how well written the book is.
Antonia has always done this for me as a reader as she carefully blends personal issues into a story with greater effects to the world as a whole feeling not only a natural occurance but both with equal importance to the tale. Add to this her delightful manner of bringing the principle characters to the fore, adding dialogue that develops the world further as well as allowing the reader what feels like a snapshot into the past. Back this up with some cracking authorial manipulations, some cracking twists as well as life and death decisions left me as a reader not only short of breath as various scenes concluded but one that just felt that the book couldn’t be left until I found out all the facts alongside conclusion as this standalone title concluded.
Release Date: 14/04/16
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
From renowned author Lindsey Davis, creator of the much-loved character, Marcus Didius Falco and his friends and family, comes the fourth novel in her all-new series set in ancient Rome.
We first met Flavia Albia, Falco's feisty adopted daughter, in The Ides of April. Albia is a remarkable woman in what is very much a man's world: young, widowed and fiercely independent, she lives alone on the Aventine Hill in Rome and makes a good living as a hired investigator. An outsider in more ways than one, Albia has unique insight into life in ancient Rome, and she puts it to good use going places no man could go, and asking questions no man could ask.
REVIEW:
Having been disappointed with the previous title in the Flavia Albia series (Deadly Election), I hoped that this one would get back to the dangerous elements where Albia’s success or failure would affect how she survived in the Roman Empire. Thankfully this one did what I wanted and as usual I was treated to a tale that had murder, intrigue and the double edged sword of truthfulness facing off against the machinations of those concerned.
All round, it’s a story that will fulfil what you want as a reader. Solid crime deduction, interesting cast members and above all else a principle character whose personal choices often put her at odds with those she works for. Cracking.
Release Date: 23/05/15
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
Oswald de Lacy was never meant to be the Lord of Somerhill Manor. Despatched to a monastery at the age of seven, sent back at seventeen when his father and two older brothers are killed by thePlague, Oswald has no experience of running an estate. He finds the years of pestilence and neglect have changed the old place dramatically, not to mention the attitude of the surviving peasants. Yet some things never change. Oswald's mother remains the powerful matriarch of the family, and his sister Clemence simmers in the background, dangerous and unmarried. Before he can do anything, Oswald is confronted by the shocking death of a young woman, Alison Starvecrow. The ambitious village priest claims that Alison was killed by a band of demonic dog-headed men. Oswald is certain this is nonsense, but proving it - by finding the real murderer - is quite a different matter. Every step he takes seems to lead Oswald deeper into a dark maze of political intrigue, family secrets and violent strife. And then the body of another girl is found. SD Sykes brilliantly evokes the landscape and people of medieval Kent in this thrillingly suspenseful debut.
REVIEW:
I love a book that makes the readers ask questions as well as giving you a glimpse into the past and that’s exactly what this title does for the reader. Hidden within this gem of a book is a tale of murder, a principle character unprepared for the life he is about to undertake and when added to those who would abuse power warring against what is right, it creates a tension that will keep the novel turning throughout.
The prose is solid with dialogue that furthers the story but for me the real triumph is the principle character who I not only learned to love fairly quickly but was one I wanted to see succeed in the position for which he had absolutely no training, leaving him to hit not only the floor running but having to juggle a good few issues at the same time. All round a cracking read and a title that I hope will be expanded into a series. Top notch.
Release Date: 28/08/14
Publisher: Sphere
SYNOPSIS:
1536. In the corrupt heart of Tudor London a killer waits in the shadows...The Real Crime Before dawn on a misty November morning in 1536, prominent mercer Robert Packington was gunned down as he crossed Cheapside on his way to early morning mass. It was the first assassination by handgun in the history of the capital and subsequently shook the city to its core. The identity of his assassin has remained a mystery. Our Story Thomas Treviot is a young London goldsmith and a close family friend of Robert Packington. Through his own upstanding social connections - and some less upstanding acquaintances he has made along the way - Thomas launches a dramatic investigation into Packington's death. As Thomas searches for revenge, he must travel from the golden heart of merchant London, to the straw-covered backstreets of London's poorest districts before reaching the country's seat of power: the court of King Henry VIII. Before long he is drawn into a dark conspiracy beyond his wildest imaginings and claiming justice for his friend starts to look impossible. Especially when Thomas realises that Robert wasn't the man he thought he knew...In the first of a new series investigating real unsolved Tudor crimes, D. K. Wilson brings the streets of Tudor London to spectacular life as Thomas Treviot faces a fight to bring the truth to light in the corrupt world of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII.
REVIEW:
Most stories set in an historical time period are ones that we already know the answers to, yet just as in modern times, not every crime is solved and here the author bring one from the Tudor Period to life in an imaginative title that not only gives the reader an answer but also allows the reader to get a tale that is nigh impossible to put down.
The characters are delightful to spend time around as they feel like real people that you could meet on the street, they have feelings, they have their own objectives and desires and above all else their interaction really helps give the time period some real body for a modern reader. Back this up with some great twists alongside some cracking dialogue and all round its definitely one of my favourite crime books of the year to date. Great stuff.
Release Date: 28/08/14
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2014. Longlisted for the John Creasey Dagger Award for best debut crime novel of 2014. London, 1727 - and Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors' prison. The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules: those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort. Those with none will starve in squalor and disease. And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol's rutheless governor and his cronies. The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent grisly murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol. While the Captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet. Some call Fleet a devil, a man to avoid at all costs. But Tom Hawkins is sharing his cell. Soon, Tom's choice is clear: get to the truth of the murder - or be the next to die. A twisting mystery, a dazzling evocation of early 18th Century London, THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA is a thrilling debut novel full of intrigue and suspense.
REVIEW:
Whilst there are quite a few novels out there that deal with historical fiction or crime, very few delve into it from the point of view of the gaolee. In this case the books principle character Tom Hawkins who has to face the hell of a sentence in debtor’s prison. The book is well writer, the prose bringing the time period to life and when you throw into the mix a lead character that the reader can really get behind really does help the book move on at quite a clip.
Its definitely different to pretty much any other title out there and is a book that I was more than happy to read, add to the mix that its also a debut and I’ll be seeing what Antonia comes back with as her second outing. Great stuff.
Release Date: 01/08/13
Publisher: Orion
SYNOPSIS:
The brightest mind meets the darkest killer
1887
When James Murray, a young Scottish doctor fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind, travels to the vibrant city of Turin, it is to study with Cesare Lombroso, the world-renowned criminologist. But just hours after his introduction to the unconventional Lombroso, the discovery of a horrifically mutilated body in the nearby Piazza Statuto, and a note that appears to implicate the celebrated criminologist himself, changes everything.
With the help of his fellow apprentice, Ottolenghi; Tullio, a local investigator; and Lombroso's beautiful but enigmatic housekeeper, Sofia; Murray must put his learning to the test and endeavour to understand the mind of a truly evil serial killer if he is to stop the rapidly escalating bloodbath and clear the name of his mentor. Have Lombroso's many enemies attempted to frame him? Are the notes an accusation or a challenge? And will Lombroso's own influential theories about criminal behaviour help to catch a cunning and ruthless killer?
Meet the world's first criminologist in this compelling, fast-paced historical thriller.
REVIEW:
OK, so you want a historical thriller that brings a crime story to the fore that you can really get your teeth into. So what are you going to reach for? Well this debut is a novel that I had fun with. I loved the twists and the set up, the pace was solid and whilst for some the prose may be a little overly flowery for me it helped bring the time to life.
What Diana did exceptionally well was, for me, her characters, they felt rounded, they had personalities and quirks which when added to great dialogue made this something that I really couldn’t put down until I reached a conclusion. It was a lot of fun and whilst its going to be a marmite book (either you love it or hate it), its definitely one that has made a striking impression enough to have me watching out for future novels by her.
Release Date: 14/03/13
Publisher: Century
SYNOPSIS:
Against a teeming canvas of Borgia politics, Niccolò Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci come together to unmask an enigmatic serial killer, as we learn the secret history behind one of the most controversial works in the western canon, The Prince...
When Pope Alexander dispatches a Vatican courtesan, Damiata, to the remote fortress city of Imola to learn the truth behind the murder of Juan, his most beloved illegitimate son, she cannot fail, for the scheming Borgia pope holds her own young son hostage. Once there, Damiata becomes a pawn in the political intrigues of the pope’s surviving son, the charismatic Duke Valentino, whose own life is threatened by the condottieri, a powerful cabal of mercenary warlords. Damiata suspects that the killer she seeks is one of the brutal condottierri, and as the murders multiply, her quest grows more urgent. She enlists the help of an obscure Florentine diplomat, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Valentino’s eccentric military engineer, Leonardo da Vinci, who together must struggle to decipher the killer’s taunting riddles: Leonardo with his groundbreaking “science of observation” and Machiavelli with his new “science of men.” Traveling across an Italy torn apart by war, they will enter a labyrinth of ancient superstition and erotic obsession to discover at its center a new face of evil—and a truth that will shake the foundations of western civilization.
REVIEW:
When an author tackles a time period that a well-known franchise has covered with characters that gamers are familiar with, an author really has to do something that not only makes the reader sit up and pay attention but gives them something that is totally unique.
What Michael presents within this book is a story that fans of crime will absolutely love, there’s mystery, there’s some macabre twists and when you add to the mix not only solid research but characters that could step out and function in the modern day, really does go to show not only a unique book but something that was a pure joy to read.
Within this title, Machiavelli and Da Vinci both bring their specialities to the fore with cunning reasoning, clever lateral thinking and of course personalities that are larger than life demonstrate that these two could have been the Holmes and Watson of their day. Throw into the mix some wonderful authorly sleight of hand, great prose and solid dialogue all round makes this a book that I’m going to be recommending to quite a few crime fans.
Hearing about an inner war being waged within Head of Zeus for the Champion of their three Historical Fiction recent releases we thought that we’d throw all three into the arena, give them their weapons of choice and see who would emerge victorius, however as ever, in following the whims of the crowd we thought that we’d allow each champion (Nic, Head of Zeus’ Digital Manager for Mayer, Geo, Production Editor championing for Royal and Mathilda, HoZ for Jane Finnis), the blank slates each to make the case through their authors. Here are what we thought to the books:
Release Date: 29/11/12
SYNOPSIS:
BRITANNIA, 91 AD: A raw, frontier province lying at the northern edge of the Roman Empire. Its fifty years since the legions invaded, but the land still simmers with tension, especially in the north. But in the Oak Tree Inn on the road to Eburacum, both Roman and Briton are welcome. Innkeeper Aurelia Marcella fled the devastation of Pompeii to build a new life here, and though her roots are Roman, her heart belongs to Britannia. Then a messenger is brutally decapitated outside her Inn, a crude message scrawled on his body: ALL ROMANS WILL BE KILLED. GET OUT OR DIE. An act of rebellion, or something more sinister, something more personal? Amid shadows and deception, Aurelia will have to face the possibility that someone she knows and trusts her and her family dead...
REVIEW:
I love a book that not only takes me back in time but goes to show that the more we think that we’ve changed the less we actually have. This mystery from Jane Finnis is a book that was originally released in America in 2003 yet hadn’t made its way over the ocean to us until new publisher, Head of Zeus, brought it to us.
What unfurls within is a book of twists, murder. Mayhem and of course all a lead character that just steps off the page into the readers imagination. Whilst the book does take a little while to get into, when you do, you’ll be hooked. All round a great beginning and a whole set of adventures I can’t wait to embark upon.
Release Date: 29/11/12
SYNOPSIS:
MEDIEVAL MYSTERY: AD 1270. On a remote East Anglian coast stands Tyndal Priory, which belongs to the Order of Fontevraud where monks and nuns live and work in close proximity. Twenty-one-year-old Prioress Eleanor of Wynethorpe has just been appointed prioress by King Henry III over the elected choice of the priory itself. Young and inexperienced, Eleanor will face a grave struggle - in a place dedicated to love and peace, she will find little of either. THE WINE OF VIOLENCE: It is late summer in the year 1270. Although the Simon de Montfort rebellion is over, the smell of death still hangs over the land. In the small priory of Tyndal, the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevraud long for a return to routine. Alas, the day after the arrival of the new prioress, a brutally murdered monk is found in the cloister gardens. Now Eleanor must not only struggle to gain the respect of her terrified and resentful flock but also bring a murderer to justice.
REVIEW:
As a reader, I love a book that delivers the key ingredients that I’m looking for within a genre, in this case, twists, intrigue and murder most foul. Yet for wanting all this, the item that remains at the top for all my choices no matter the genre is a lead character that helps me not only adjust to the time in to which the story is set but gives me foibles and character traits that all me to not only associate with them but also means that they’re personable enough for me to want to hang around them.
What occurs within is a story that not only delivers what the reader wants but gives them a story that not only has you guessing throughout but also demonstrates how the newly appointed Prioress finds a way to make her own authority take hold of her new charge, it has great pace, some wonderful prose but for me the lead character is a woman of many shades who not only battles a mind of wits with the established of her charge but also has to fight a war of emotional turmoil as another new arrival twists her inner desires. All in a great story and one that I was more than happy to spend time with.
Release Date: 29/11/12
SYNOPSIS:
DEATH IN BYZANTIUM: At the heart of what is left of the Roman Empire, lies a city simmering with intrigue & treachery. Amid this maelstrom stands John, a slave who has risen to become the right hand of Justinian, the greatest of Byzantium's emperors. With violence and murder commonplace, it is John's skills as an investigator that the Emperor prizes the most. ONE FOR SORROW: It is AD 527 and when the body of a high ranking treasury official is found in a filthy alley behind a house of ill repute, John embarks on an investigation that will stir the ghosts of his past and threaten his life. Amid rumours of soothsayers and priceless holy relics, he will follow a trail that twists and turns through the splendour and the squalor of sixth-century Byzantium. Before he reaches its end, John will defy the Patriarch of Constantinople, risk the wrath of an unmerciful Emperor and incur the undying hatred of his infamous Empress, Theodora.
REVIEW:
Do you love intrigue, double dealing, policitical machinations all wrapped around a life or death mystery? You do. Well look no longer, this book by ME Mayer really will hit the spot as it takes you back to ancient Byzantium where the Roman Empire hangs on with its fingertips against a world ranged against it.
Its quirky, it has some wonderful imagination but for me the real kicker here is a lead character that more than introduces us to this world of constant danger. Back this up with wonderful pace, some great twits which when backed with an author who loves to keep you guessing, all round makes this a book that was a solid title to read.
Summation:
So to sum up, whilst all three books are of a high quality, for us, we had to side with Geo and Priscilla Royal as her lead character really gave us that extra bit of mystery, wonderful inner turmoil and of course generated an overall mystery that we just couldn’t put down. Cracking books all three so please, take the challenge yourself and see what you think.
Release Date: 01/03/12
SYNOPSIS:
Wapping, London: March 1799. A sunken lugger in the Pool of London at last reveals its shocking secret. River Surveyor Tom Pascoe of the Marine Police finds the bodies of two men entombed in the crew's cabin. Suspicion falls on a third member of the crew seen fleeing the scene. He had a known motive for murder. Against the background of a nation at war with Napoleon, Tom Pascoe finds his own life under threat as he digs deeper into the case. He uncovers the existence of French agents whose task is to undermine England's ability to continue the war. In a race against time, Tom's job is further complicated by the presence of a new member of the police crew with a secret of his own...
REVIEW:
Having enjoyed the first book by Patrick Easter, I was eager to see how he would expand the character as well as the tasks to which he’s been set to work upon in subsequent tales. This second book gives the reader a story that not only wends its merry way through London in much the way that the Thames does, but also brings the times to life with scenes that allow the readers imagination to take over.
Add to this a great sense of pace, some wonderful turns of phrase and an author who clearly knows his subject matter which gives the reader a tale that many will love whilst also delivering on the criminal aspects that were rife at the time. All in, this was a great read for me and clearly demonstrates that the author, who whilst new with this being his second story, has carved a great niche out for himself in a series that is pretty unique. Great stuff.
Release Date: 07/02/12
SYNOPSIS:
It is 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna's brightest star. Master of the city's music halls and devoted member of the Austrian Freemason's guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philosophy and science, politics and intrigue. Six weeks ago, the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died. The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder. But Wolfgang's sister Nannerl, returned from the provinces to investigate, will not believe base gossip. Who but a madman would poison such a genius? Yet as she looks closely at what her brother left behind - a handwritten score, a scrap of paper from his journal - Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: the threads of a masonic conspiracy that reach from the gilded ballrooms of Viennese society to the faceless offices of the Prussian secret service. Only when watching Wolfgang's bewitching opera, The Magic Flute, does Nannerl truly understand her beloved brother once again. For, encoded in his final arias, is a subtly crafted blueprint for a radical new tomorrow. Mozart hoped to change his future. Instead he sealed his fate.
REVIEW:
I love a book that’s slightly different to the vast majority out there and that’s certainly what you get with this title by Matt Ree’s as he works a story around a musical movement worthy of the great composer himself. It has a carefully constructed build that works into a main theme and finishes with a movement that leads to one hell of a crescendo, however the major problem that I had with this story was that I had a hard time liking Nannerl who I felt didn’t fit into the time period or the expectations of the reader.
Don’t get me wrong, it is very clever, it does give the reader a lot to mull over especially when you look at all the conspiracy theories around Mozart however all that really doesn’t matter too much if the character that leads the reader by the hand isn’t as likeable as they should be.
All in a decent enough read but I’ve had to give it a lower rating due to the very slow starting pace, the difficult use of language in places and of course a character that I didn’t want to spend time around.
Release Date: 18/08/11
SYNOPSIS:
In 1358 the fledging college of Michaelhouse in Cambridge is in need of extra funds. A legacy from the Archbishop of York of a parish close to that city promises a welcome source of income. However, there has been another claim to its ownership and it seems the only way to settle the dispute is for a deputation from Michaelhouse to travel north. Matthew Bartholomew is among the small party which arrives in the bustling city, where the increasing wealth of the merchants is unsettling the established order, and where a French invasion is an ever-present threat to its port. But soon he and his colleagues learn that several of the Archbishop's executors have died in unexplained circumstances and that the codicil naming Michaelhouse as a beneficiary cannot be found...
REVIEW:
I love a crime story that takes me to an old world, gives me a story I can get into as well as giving me a special flavour that demonstrates that mankind hasn’t evolved as far as we think we have. This title by Susanna is well written and whilst the 17th story in the series it’s one that you can pick up and enjoy without having read the others. It has great twists, some wonderfully deceptive sleight of hand and a mystery that will puzzle and mystify to the end. Great fun all in and one that was a real joy to read. Cracking.
Release Date: 18/08/11
SYNOPSIS:
The second in a major new series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno, philospher, scientist and heretic, for all fans of C.J.Sansom and The Name of the Rose.
Autumn, 1583: Queen Elizabeth’s rule is under threat. Plans for an invasion to put Mary Stuart on the throne of England are secretly being laid. And an astrological phenomenon believed to herald the death of one age and the dawn of another has led to frenzied speculation of terrible events to come.
Giordano Bruno, the maverick and charismatic agent of Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster to the queen, has infiltrated the plotters at the French embassy. His mission is to secure the evidence that will allow the execution of Mary Stuart and her cohorts for treason. But his position there is tenuous – while the ambassador trusts him, his beautiful and cunning wife Marie seems determined to prise out his secrets.
Meanwhile, the murder of a maid of honour within the palace walls involves Bruno in deeper mysteries. Occult symbols carved into her young flesh point to black magic, but the truth could be even more sinister…
REVIEW:
I love not only historical fiction but also a good dark seething crime novel, so when the two combine it’s something that I really can’t pass up. When SJ’s first novel Heresy hit the floor last year, I really couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It’s dark, it brings a world to the fore that I can only imagine and all in it’s a story that satisfies from the first page to the last. SJ’s descriptive prose works extremely well, the characters stand out and the arc moves along at quite a clip.
Add to this some deliciously dark twists, a great modus operandi and an author who delivers something that surpasses the original. Cracking good fun.
Release Date: 04/08/11
SYNOPSIS:
It is Midsummer, 1631. While Alexander Seaton and his fellow masters enjoy the holiday with their students, Robert Sim, librarian of Marischal College, is murdered in a dark alleyway in town. While the university and town authorities investigate the murder, Seaton is asked by the college principal to look into Sim's private life. In the course of an investigation in which his personal feelings threaten to cloud his judgement and endanger his young marriage to Sarah, he discovers a side to the librarian he could never have guessed at. It is only when a second, apparently unrelated murder comes to light that Seaton begins to piece together the connections between a young weaver, a consignment of books, and events in a college in the Low Countries in order to unmask the perpetrator of the years'-old deception that led to the two deaths.
REVIEW:
As a huge reader, I always love it when a book interests me and I don’t know what to expect. Whilst the first part of this title takes its time to build when it gets going, its really a title that’s hard to let go of. The characters are interesting and people you want to hang around, the historical part draws you into a city that few can imagine and when you add some cracking prose as well as decent dialogue it’s a title that was a real joy to read.
All in, I’m more than pleased that I stuck with it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for Shona’s next book to see how things develop.
Release Date: 01/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
The seventeenth novel in Anne Perry's acclaimed William Monk series
1864 - Monk and his wife Hester are doing their best to care for Scuff - a homeless boy slowly recovering from a terrifying ordeal at the hands of Jericho Phillips, the runner of a child prostitution ring. Although Scuff's evil abductor is dead, there is no suggestion that the ring has been broken and Scuff is certain that more children are suffering an even worse fate.
Monk is determined to find the remaining children and uncover, once and for all, the men funding the operation. And when the body of small-time crook Mickey Parfitt washes up on Mortlake's shore, it fortuitously points him in the right direction. But as Monk's investigation continues, the reputations of respected gentlemen, including Arthur Ballinger, father-in-law of Monk's friend Oliver Rathbone, start being called into question and his task becomes fraught with unforeseen dangers.
In an illicit world of blackmail, vice and corruption, Monk must follow the trail - and his conscience - wherever it leads, no matter how disturbing the truth may be.
REVIEW:
To be honest I’ve not read Anne Perry prior to this so I feel that with so many other titles out there previously I did wonder if I’d be left out to dry with very little clue as to who is who and what the hell is happening. What I actually received from this title was a story that felt like a continuation, the subject matter was uncomfortable and to be honest it felt that the plot was a little stretched with what it achieved to create a full length story of what would have worked better as a novella.
That said however I did like the characters, they had a real feeling of depth and with the authors writing style it felt that it brought the time period to life which for me is the key aspect to any title. I will more than likely read other titles by Anne although I think I’ll have to start at the beginning to get the full impact.
Release Date: 02/06/11
SYNOPSIS:
The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the house is so perfect she almost feels as though it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband seeming more distant, and her daughter wrapped up in her friends and new school, Annie is left alone to mull over the past. Soon she becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter, a rising star of the music hall whose sparkling performances were the talk of the town. As Annie delves further into Lily's past she begins to unravel a dark episode from Edwardian London, that of two notorious baby farmers, who lured young unmarried mothers with the promise of a better life for their babies. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest. Based on a real period from London's rich history, Caitlin Davies skillfully blends fact and fiction to bring to life part of our sinister past. Spanning an entire century, from the journals of an Edwardian police inspector to a doomed wartime love affair, The Ghost of Lily Painter is an engrossing and poignant novel from a hugely talented writer.
REVIEW:
If you love a story of investigation and discovery then this could be a title that you’ll love. Whilst many may feel that the title has a supernatural element to it, it is more a literal haunting of the modern cast member than a genuine haunting, where she becomes intrigued as well as fascinated with the occupants of her house from the 1901 census in particular the daughter, Lily Painter.
Its cleverly devised and whilst there is a trend to have a title set in more than one time period with two lead protagonists, it’s a title that works extremely well to help give the title a great sense of pace as well as allowing the reader to get the full flavour of the Edwardian period. All in the title is clever, haunting in its own respect and when the threads all collide it’s a title that will stay with you long after the final page is turned. Wonderful.
Release Date: 12/05/11
SYNOPSIS:
'Makes you want to read every word...the plot is serpentine and satisfying, with enough false trails and distractions to create a genuine mystery' Telegraph The streets of London seethe with rumour and conspiracy as the King's navy battles the French at sea. And while the banks of the Thames swarm with life, a body is dragged from its murky waters. In another part of town, where the air seems sweeter, the privileged enjoy a brighter world of complacent wealth and intoxicating celebrity. But as society revels in its pleasures, a darker plot is played out. Yet some are willing to look below the surface to the unsavoury depths. Mrs Harriet Westerman believes passionately in justice. Reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther is fascinated by the bones beneath the skin. Invited to seek the true nature of the dead man, they risk censure for an unnatural interest in murder. But when the safety of a nation is at stake, personal reputation must give way to the pursuit of reason and truth.
REVIEW:
History is not only written by the victors but, at times, by authors as it should have been rather than it was. Whilst they can’t take huge leaps with the events of the recorded they can play around with the minutae that leads to possible connections and as such that is what Imogen has done extremely well in this, her second novel.
Whilst it won’t appeal to everyone it is a title that has a great deal of imagination, a wonderful sense of 18th Century London and when backed with convincing almost background details brings the city of that century to life within the readers imagination. Add to this backdrop, strong lead characters who balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses well and it’s a title that many readers will have a hard time putting down. Finally add to the mix a wonderful sense of unrecorded history, a decent story arc and a touch of the flamboyant and it’s a title that will please as well as enthral many to Imogen’s writing style.
Release Date: 14/04/11
SYNOPSIS:
Cumbria, 1783. A broken heritage; a secret history...The tomb of the first Earl of Greta should have lain undisturbed on its island of bones for three hundred years. When idle curiosity opens the stone lid, however, inside is one body too many. Gabriel Crowther's family bought the Gretas' land long ago, and has suffered its own bloody history. His brother was hanged for murdering their father, the Baron of Keswick, and Crowther has chosen comfortable seclusion and anonymity over estate and title for thirty years. But the call of the mystery brings him home at last. Travelling with forthright Mrs Harriet Westerman, who is escaping her own tragedy, Crowther finds a little town caught between new horrors and old, where ancient ways challenge modern justice. And against the wild and beautiful backdrop of fells and water, Crowther discovers that his past will not stay buried.
REVIEW:
Coming from Cumbria I have more than a passing acquaintance with the area’s mentioned by Imogen within this title so to be honest with you, I was a little apprehensive at first as I did end up wondering if she would be able to bring the whole thing together as well as give a flavour of the area for the reader to enjoy. What unfurls in this book is part prehistory of Gabriel as well as continuing his current timeline as he seeks to come to terms with not only his past but also his emotions as things are revealed that were previously unknown.
It’s cleverly done, the interweaving of the various threads wonderfully thought out and when backed with clear, almost photographic descriptions, the reader will have a treat in store. What I would advise however is that you look up some of the area’s within the book on various image sites as the landscape to Derwent Water hasn’t hugely changed in order to give yourself a fuller picture of the land. Finally add to all this Imogen’s trademark prose as well as decent dialogue and characterisation and it’s a title that makes a wonderful addition to this established series.
Please click on the following link for a short film about some of the locations in Anatomy of Murder.
